First time posting here, or probably anywhere similar, for that matter. Hoping to hear from the wisdom of others that are more experienced than I
Background: I am recently married and moved out of home for the first time (with my wife) to live in the ACT to privately rent a small granny flat for $250 p/w. We signed a 6 month lease which we have just finished, and are struggling to get all of our bond back.
When we moved in, the place was a mess. The front yard was an utter disaster with everything over-grown and grass in much need of some mowing. The inside was worse. Grease and oil everywhere in the kitchen, requiring us to scrub the walls and everything else in the kitchen for a few hours. The windows were all very dirty too.
We told the landlord and he apologised but we moved in quickly to have a very pleasant relationship with the landlord over the following 6 months with no issues. We did not take photos of the place and I did not do a condition report (obviously, a stupid thing to skip over).
Present: We moved out, leaving the place far nicer than what it looked like when we had arrived. However, we did not wipe down the bathroom properly. The landlord texted me, saying that he is keeping $250 of our $1000 bond because he had to pay for a cleaner to make it presentable for the next person. I know that I'm not a messy person, and the place was definitely presentable. Unfortunately, once again, I took no photos of the place when I left it.
is this thing worth fighting about? do I try and argue my way out of this? do I pay the $250 and move on? any help/guidance would be appreciated
also, is this situation commonplace for people that rent (e.g. a $250 cleaning fee)?
I'm hoping that people can try to hold back their comments about "you should have taken photos bro" or "condition reports exist for a reason" - I know this now, and I should have known then. Oh what the hell… Say it, I know you want to
EDIT/UPDATE:
I apologised to my landlord for the stress it caused him to find a cleaner. I proposed that I pay $125 for the cleaner (and justified this based on the issues with cleanliness that we had on arrival). However, I also said that it is ultimately up to him how much he wants to charge me and encouraged him to keep "whatever he thought is fair given what I have explained."
His response took me by surprise. He now says he will be keeping $500 (half the bond). This guy is a bully. I've contacted ACAT.
This'll be interesting. Here's to getting some life experience ;)
You should have taken photos bro or condition reports exist for a reason.
Nah just kidding. With the amount of $250 i think you can pay for moving out cleaning for a granny flat.
Maybe ask for a discount and move on, or offer to engage a cleaner you can find at a cheaper rate to clean?
Just curious, did the owner hold the bond so i guess there is no contract?