witholding deposit to damaged property

vaporate

Both the landlord and tenant are in the wrong.

OP, chase more than the deposit, held to illegal ransom, and you deserve it.

On the other hand, the tenant sounds like a total idiot and trashed your place, but thats your side of the story.

conclusion: call it quits and get out of this mess as cheaply as possible.

End of the day though, you broke the law by not putting the money in a protection scheme, you cant moan.

tbs624

carmenarmen wrote: »

I don't need a sermon thank you.

Post on a public forum and not everyone will pat your hand and say "there, there, poor you."

carmenarmen wrote: »

I admit to not adhering to the law but I also treat people and property with respect, behave fairly (if naively, ignorantly and illegally in this case) and have done with every tenant that has been in the property, which this tenant didn't do in return.

Cor blimey, your mistaken self -congratulation & attempted occupation of some sort of moral high ground just continues.

You have categorically not treated your T (possible Ts plural) with "respect" nor behaved "fairly" - you admit that you failed to scheme- register their deposit, as required under the law, and then simultaneously complain about the T's apparent shortcomings under the terms of the contract, whilst failing to see the irony.

carmenarmen wrote: »

The law is there to protect victims whether tenants or landlords and I'm a bigger fool in this case for being sloppy. And yes, I suspect the victims are more often than not, the tenants.
.

Indeed they are, and you have had over half the time you have been letting property to familiarise yourself with the Tenancy Deposit Regs. Prior to the start point over 3 years ago, the approaching introduction of the Regs was plastered all over newspapers, magazines, radio, forums such as these, leaflets enclosed with LL insurance policies etc.