Damage deposits

200299

Hi everyone
Read the boards a lot and never really post but I hope someone can offer a little advice.

I have lived in my current property for 4 years and have just given my LL 6 weeks notice to move out as I need to be closer to my work (currently 3 hours commuting a day). He sent me a text thanking me for being a superb tenant and saying he would need to come and inspect the property, read meters and talk about damage deposit etc which is fine. My question is how likely am I to get my damage deposit back? There was no inventory on moving in and the tenency agreement was a DIY agreement that you can buy off the shelf. There are a few marks on the walls (magnolia throughout) and a few stains on the carpet (cream) which I guess is to be expected with a child living there (I have had them professionally cleaned once a year). I have had the curtains dry cleaned and there was a patch of missing grass in the garden which I have turfed. I am just really worried that I will lose the £500 deposit

Hope any LL's or anyone with experience of this can help

Thank you x

Blacksheep1979

If you want to be a pain about it then you will get all your deposit back. The landlord has to prove that he has some reason to keep part/all of the deposit and to do this he really needs an inventory from the time you moved in signed and agreed by both of you - without this he can't prove the original state of the property therefore can't prove you're responsible for any damage.

200299

Thank you for your reply. I don't want to be a pain to him, have offered to show potential tenants round for him and given 6 weeks notice instead of 4 to help as well. I am willing to be reasonable but am just a little unsure of what reasonable is

Thank you x

Blacksheep1979

By being a pain I purely meant that you could claim you hadn't damaged stuff when you had as he has no proof. I've used basically this argument to get my deposit back before (when we had left the property in a good condition) and a cleaning charge was added on after 6 months when I pressed them for return of the deposit.

200299

Good news - I got all of my damage deposit back

Thanks LL

xx

DawnW

thanks for letting us know the outcome. Sounds reasonable to me :T
Good luck x

clutton_2

i did not mean to thank blacksheep - its sad that bs's advice to this OP was to be a "pain" to this good LL