Rented house end of contract, deposit etc

Lady_K

Daughters house contract ends in less than 2 weeks, shes been there for 7 months. She paid the deposit and arrangement fee in cash before moving in and the first months rent in cash on the day she moved in, the rest have been by standing order and always been on time. Shes not got a great reciepts for the 2 cash payments, just scribbles on the back of a business card and nothing to say what the payments are for so I'm a bit worried about her getting the deposit back, hope I'm worrying for nothing.

We have checked the shorthold tennancy agreement and it doesnt say anything about giving any notice so she hasnt done so yet, the Agency guy hasnt contacted her either and there have been no viewings so we are wondering if he might have forgot her contract ends soon. Is she obliged to give any particular length of notice even though we can't see anything in the contract about it? shes going to contact him tomorrow if he bothers to answer his phone as he usually ignores it. She only has the agency for contact not the landlords.

When she does move out should she expect the deposit to be paid back to her in cash there and then from the agent? as shouldnt he turn up to collect the keys, check the house and take meter readings with her on that day just as he did when she moved in? as he is so hard to get hold of. There is no office, well theres is supposed to be but its empty. I think it used to be his office but its not been for a while now. I'm worried she wont get the deposit back. It doesnt say anything about that in the contract either.

Also a couple of months ago daughter contacted him as the landing light stopped working, he arranged to come and fix it but then said he hadnt got time and that my daughter had to ring him back to arrange another time for him to do it, he said it would just be a loose wire but daughters been so busy with work shes hardly in so its not been fixed, can he hold her liable for this even though he was informed?

N79

Well there is the MSE standard question which always gets asked whether it is relevent or not but since, in this case it is relevent and no one else has asked it here we go....

Was the tenancy an AST? If so, was the deposit protected? If it was, then you have nothing to worry about.

clutton_2

""Daughters house contract ends in less than 2 weeks, shes been there for 7 months."

this is odd... i have never come across an agreement for 7 months... tell us what the FIXED TERM is on the tenancy agreement please

EagerLearner

Hi Lady_K - hope you are worrying for nothing but in saying that cash transactions sound less than ideal.
By law all landlords are now required to protect tenant deposits and if not, can be taken to court subject to hefty fines.
Try to get in touch with him again and also check any paperwork for his address as if she can't get him and needs to write to him it will need to be sent there.
Good luck and let us know the info above.

Lady_K

I have the contract here with me and it says at the top 'Assured shorthold tennancy' so I'm guessing it is an AST but as she paid in cash I'm still concerned. They were a brand new agency when she went to view it and its just 1 man running it and he appears very amateurish but she had to move very quickly due to starting a new job and she did rush things more than she usually would.

The contract was going to be for 6 months but that meant it fell to end the week before christmas so the agent asked her if she would like to make it 7 months instead which she did. Fixed term is stating 7 months.

Should she expect the agent to be there the day she moves out to settle things, read the meters with her and give her the deposit back that day in cash as she paid it?

She will be trying to call him again this afternoon, she can text message but he usually says he did not recieve any messages

EagerLearner

Hi Lady K,

Do get her to press for him to be there if she can get hold of him.
Prob needs to put in writing about wanting to leave and for him to attend on xxx date. Also that she will want the return of the deposit to be on said date or soonafter type thing.
She will want to send any letters registered post to whatever address he provides, or had provided on contract. Try to get things in writing if possible but obviously there will be a few calls. Text would be the next best thing.
Get her to keep all texts sent and received from him.
Take camera or video on the day to get evidence of the condition the place was left in. This applies whether he attends or not really.

Lady_K

Thanks will give that info to her, I just hope it all goes right in the end.

clutton_2

"" Shes not got a great reciepts for the 2 cash payments, just scribbles on the back of a business card and nothing to say what the payments are for so I'm a bit worried about her getting the deposit back, ""

as long as the scribble shows a signature for receipt then she has a receipt

contact the 3 deposit schemes and see if the LA registered her deposit .... you can do this on line or by phone .... very important to do that today

Lady_K

Does anyone know the numbers of those please and would the agent or landlord know it had been checked afterwards?

N79

Lady_K wrote: »

Does anyone know the numbers of those please and would the agent or landlord know it had been checked afterwards?

Use google or directgov website for your first Q and why would you care as an answer to the second?

clutton_2

no landlord never knows if tenant has made enquiries - you are perfectly anonymous...

i think on some of the websites you can simply enter the postcode of the property to find out...