Another returning bond post!

bellrooster

Hi folks

I'm in the process of moving out of our privately rented accommodation, Our LL doesn't use a letting agency and when we moved in we just signed a 'do it yourself' tenancy agreement (like one of those write your own will packs you can get), but I don't remember ever signing an itinerary and looking through all the paperwork, there isn't one.

We're thinking about this in terms of getting our bond back as there's no point of reference from when we moved in! We intend to clean the house from top to bottom, inc carpets with a rug doctor and re paper part of the lounge where my DD has torn some wall paper.

The house wasn't in great repair when we moved in, eg the cooker hood as a light that would drip grease onto the hobs below :eek: and the bathroom had a lot of chipped tiles and missing grout at sealent in places and some of the curtain poles are held together with brown parcel tape (attractive i know, but it was cheap!)

I'm fairly certain that the bond went into a scheme (I don't know too much about the schemes if i'm honest)

I'm hoping the LL will be satisfied that the house is in the same condition as when we moved in (all be it slightly cleaner in the kitchen area). But what if LL is not? we didn't take pictures or sign anything relating to the condition of the house and I'm slightly concerned that we've left ourselves a bit stuck!

any advice greatly appreciated!

princeofpounds

Assuming you fall within the timing cutoff, then your deposit should have been protected. Check this now with the three main schemes (google for tenancy deposits and all the details are on the govt site).

If it is not, then you must get your LL to do it to avoid the 3x penalty.

As there is no record of condition on the way in, then the LL is likely to lose any arbitration, so you should then be ok (although he might insist on going to court instead of DPS).

But if you did cause any damage, then you should pay for it minus fair wear and tear, just on ethical grounds.

clutton_2

""tear, just on ethical grounds."" - this is nothing to do with ethics - tenants sign a legally binding which makes it clear that any damage is to be paid for - tenants have a legal duty to "act in a tenant-like manner" - ie to not do damage.

Any damage HAS to be paid for - due to contractual and financial obligations, nothing to do with ethics.

Having said all that, any LL that does not deposit tenants deposits in a Scheme is breaking the law and deserves what he gets.

If you did not sign an inventory, then the LL cannot made deductions unless he can prove in some other way (by receipts for work done for example) that the property was in good nick on move in - but this is most unlikely

I suggest OP has a good read of www.landlordzone.co.uk to see how the legal eagles over there advice tenants in their position

bellrooster

The only damage we have caused is the torn wallpaper - we have a spare roll of matching paper that we will re-decorate with.

So I gather that if I give the house a thorough deep clean and re paper the area of wall paper that is torn then there is no reason for the LL to retain the bond.

thanks for your posts