fair admin charge for making repairs & replacing fittings?

[fairlandlord]

Hi
I'm a new landlord (unfurnished) and I'm trying to find out / assess what is a fair administration fee to charge ex tenant or future tenants for the time lost by me to perform duties; e.g. any loss of time to me associated with any time it takes me to source replacement damaged fixtures and fittings or meeting / being on site for cleaners, decorators to make good etc.

Example; first tenant just moved out after 6 months, the property was all new, that is new walls/decoration/carpets/kitchen/bathroom/ electric/ plumbing/white goods- so everything was new and there is a bit of damage that is not covered under wear and tear. I am covered under tenancy agreement and do have a proper inventory for check in and check-out, however;

I have had to spend 5 hours so far sourcing replacement fixtures & fittings and will need to meet cleaners & decorators to make good etc, it will total about two days of my time. In my full time job I charge £80 per hour, so what is a "reasonable" hourly rate to charge former tenant for my time to put property back to status pre tenancy and replace damaged /missing items?

Great forum, thanks in advance for any advice/experience & help

Regards


Fair Landlord

[Lawcruncher]

First of all you cannot charge unless the tenancy agreement says so. But all this is part of the business of letting. You should not charge your tenant anything for managing. It should all be factored into the rent.

[fairlandlord]

Thanks lawcruncher.
I understand and accept that there are liabilities and costs associated with managing a property; however I feel that it is acceptable to charge tenants a reasonable fee for the time it takes me to replace any items that are clearly damaged due to (IMHO) negligence, more so if the items were new at tenancy start and only 6 months old at tenancy end. If it's fair wear and tear then fair enough that's all part of managing, however locating replacement fittings and paying someone to fit them should not be my cost should they?

I have about £500 worth of damages in this case and approx 2 days time to find, source & replace it all, plus paying a professional to do the work itself. If I get a 3rd party to do this it will cost the tenant much more and I dont want to rip off the former tenants-but cannot lose two days due to what is after all their negligence and not just managing.

I wanted to know what in anyone's experience would be a fair & reasonable cost for performing this service.

The tenancy agreement covers this under repairs -"To pay the reasonable costs reasonably incurred by the Landlord or his Agent in replacing or repairing any furniture or other item of contents, lost, damaged or destroyed by the Tenant or, at the option of the Landlord, replace immediately any item or other contents, lost, damaged or destroyed by the tenant, and not to remove or permit to be removed any furniture or other contents from the property"

Thanks for your advice.

[jeffrey]

But you must reasonably expect fair wear and tear. Clearly, these arise from T's proper use of the premises.

[fairlandlord]

Thanks jeffrey.
I accept fair wear and tear, however this tenant has already taken the term "fair wear and tear" to the extreme and I will already have to clean all carpets and have to redecorate 75% of the property after only 6 months, most walls are chipped, numerous painted areas stained by coffee and wine, bogies wiped into ceilings etc Yeugh!
For some background- the inventory clerk who performed both check in and the check out mentioned that the tenant has clearly been negligent and not taken "reasonable care" in the property at all, more so for a tenancy of only six months, but specifically with the damaged items, so in order to mediate I have written the redec costs off to avoid a court case and the added time and expense this entails, however to replace clearly broken items or items that have been ripped out or damaged, surely this is fair to consider my time costs and the replacement costs to be the liability of the tenant should I not?

thanks