Advice regarding end of tenancy please.

liss90

Hi all,
I am in a bit of a messy situation. This is a long one - so apologies in advance.
I moved into a rented house in Nov 08 after breaking up with my partner. The landlord and I got on very well. My eldest son left to go uni and the house was/is too expensive for me. The landlord bought another house across the road and asked if I would like to move into it and pay less rent. They needed to do it up but it would take sometime. I agreed to this verbally last september but by April this year the house was still not done. Things between my ex and I had got pretty awful (we have two young children and he is less than a minutes walk away) I decided that I would like to move further away. I thought I was doing the decent thing and told the landlord that I was not going to take his other house on. I explained why and had lovely tenants if interested for both houses.
They have since turned really nasty, served notice, put house on market, entered the house without permission, turning up 3 or 4 times at nine o'clock in the evening to tell me people were turning up next day. The tone of voice and mannerisms have been as if I am scum. I asked them why it was now like this when before I could do no wrong and they said I had messed them around. I again explained why I was moving and I was told not my problem. There have since been other incidents where they have tried to pull a fast one.

Now my tenancy should of ended yesterday but they granted me an extra five days verbally but want to put the rent up to £30 per day for the five days. I know they can't do that as have sought advice and am tempted to just put what should be five days rent by cheque through their letter box.
I am very concerned about my deposit. If he were claim I had caused damages would he have to prove that he had paid to get them repaired. This house sale completes next friday so there is no way that he is doing anything to this house. I have not caused any damage but have since found out that this man has the reputation of retaining payment when work is done for him as he finds fault etc.
Again apologies for the long one. Really concerned about my deposit have scrimped and scraped for my new deposit to the point I will not be able to pay bills etc next month unless my deposit comes back.
Thank you for any advice.

BitterAndTwisted

Was there a dual-signed inventory at the beginning of your tenancy? Has your deposit been lodged with one of the recognised deposit-protection schemes?

Jowo_2

is the property in England/Wales and if so, did you receive confirmation that the deposit was placed in a tenancy deposit scheme? did you sign an inventory/schedule of condition?

do you have onward accommodation sorted out?

liss90

Hello,
Yes in England and in a deposit scheme. Onward accommodation sorted but no inventory done when I moved in.
Thanks!

BitterAndTwisted

No inventory means that your LL will have a very hard job proving that any damage they claim has been cause to the property occurred during your tenancy. if they attempt to claim any deductions you should dispute them with the deposit scheme.

liss90

Thank you! All the neighbours are willing to witness that the house has been left in good condition - lol! It is all very difficult as landlord lives across the road. They do not have a clue about the law at all. His wife told me they had decided to charge me £30 per day but it was still cheaper than a b&b!

Jowo_2

Were you on a periodic tenancy? I feel the £30 surcharge is a lot of nonsense and they clearly are incompetent/ignorant but if a tenant stays one day past the rental period, my understanding is that on a monthly tenancy, the landlord can charge a full months rent. Happy to be challenged on this.

liss90

What I was told by Shelter and the local housing officer was because they gave me my notice they can not increase my rent. If I had given my notice and then asked for an extension of time, they could then ask me for what they wanted. It was a six month shorthold assured tenancy which ran month to month after the initial six months.