giving lodger deposit back

ali-t

My last lodger moved out at the end of may and did a bit of a flit without telling me. I knew roughly when he was going but he came home one lunchtime and moved his stuff out and I only found out when I came home from lunch.

As it was unexpected I told him I didn't have his deposit (the bank only lets you withdraw £250 per day) but he didn't mind as he said he would come up at the weekend to say bye properly and I assumed pick up the rest of his stuff. He moved in with his partner and they have all the stuff from her house and from his room in a much smaller place with less storage.

Anyway despite me phoning and texting him over the first month or so after he moved out I still haven't heard back from him. I have an expensive bike of his in the shed (which I don't have insured!) and am owe him his deposit which he is getting fully refunded.

What more do I have to do? I need the space in the shed for the garden furniture and there is nothing in my tenancy agreement about timescales for collecting deposits.

does there come a time when he is no longer entitled to get it back, am I expected to trawl the town he moved to in an attempt to find him or contact his friends to get in touch with him?

Usually posts on here related to landlords not returning deposits but I can't even give his away!

poppy10_2

Did you have a written contract?

DVardysShadow

I assume you don't have a forwarding address. Put a notice in the small ads in his local paper - charge it to his deposit. Give him notice to collect his belongings. Attempt to contact him recorded delivery at any known address. Keep evidence of all this. Then sell the stuff, for the best price keep the proceeds safe and after 6 years forget about it.

ali-t

poppy10 wrote: »

Did you have a written contract?

yes and it asked him to leave a forwarding address - which he did on a voicemail, but my phone broke and I couldn't retrieve it once I got the phone back. Although I swapped my sim card over the message was on the phone rather than the sim :mad:

There were no other relevant stipulations as he was a great lodger and no trouble at all while he stayed with me.

I would feel a bit nasty putting an ad in the paper and although I know roughly where he works, I am not sure I should be chasing him to give him his money back. I also have a feeling that if I send a cheque to his employer to send to him I will never get rid of his junk from the shed.

BitterAndTwisted

If it's an expensive bike I'd put that and any of his other stuff into storage and deduct the cost from his deposit. Once the deposit's spent and he still hasn't shown up, flog the bike, he doesn't need it

ifonlyitwaseasier

did you not have something in the contract that meant he had to give notice? because i'd be tempted to keep the deposit in lieu of that as he did a flit.

maybe do the small ad in local paper or have you tried facebook?

ali-t

he had to give a months written notice but didn't. he was an excellent lodger so I don't want to penalise him but also don't want to risk him turning up one day when I have spent his deposit

poppysarah

If you know where he works write to him there. It'll cost you a stamp.

Jomo

From the sound of it...it doesn't look as though he is that bothered, so why should you be?

I realise you don't want to take any of the deposit from him, you obviously got on with him whilst he was staying with you but if you have lost 'rent' money because of his failure to give you reasonable notice then you could deduct that from the deposit. I take it you haven't found another lodger yet?

It's nice to get on with your LL/Lodger but you have to have mutual respect as well and it doesn't sound like he has shown much towards you.

Jowo_2

Obviously, the outgoing lodger is not aware that the OP has lost the forwarding address provided so keep the deposit until he gets back in touch.

Next time, ensure your next lodger completes a lodger application form which will provide information to make them traceable should they ever flit in a nasty way, always perform screening (see the information on Lodgers/Rent a room scheme on Landlordzone).

Ensure you have a lodgers agreement in place which makes clear the notice period which will stipulate that it must be in writing. This will prevent the type of confusion you have now.

You are obliged to look after your lodgers belongings. Guidance is here

http://www.landlordzone.co.uk/uncollected_goods.htm

ali-t

Jowo wrote: »

Next time, ensure your next lodger completes a lodger application form which will provide information to make them traceable should they ever flit in a nasty way, always perform screening (see the information on Lodgers/Rent a room scheme on Landlordzone).

he was a friend of a friend but I don't understand how his contact details at the time of moving in would have any relation to his contact details when he left. He stayed for nearly 2 years and the contact details I do have (mobile number) I haven't been able to get him on.

Jowo wrote: »

Ensure you have a lodgers agreement in place which makes clear the notice period which will stipulate that it must be in writing. This will prevent the type of confusion you have now.

I do have an arrangement in place that he signed when he moved in and also a second one that was completed after a rent raise. I have a copy and he has a copy but it doesn't change that I can't get him on the contact details i have for him.

I think the next step is to try to get him at his work, although I am reluctant to do so. thanks for the link to landlordzone, I will have a look and get some tips.