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Landlord has installed CCTV INSIDE our house and will not return my deposit

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Comments

  • stekin
    stekin Posts: 16 Forumite
    lilac_lady no I paid the deposit via bank transfer so I also have the evidence that the £1,200 deposit went into his account.

    DUTR as I mentioned in the original post I will be moving in with my partner ASAP until I can find another suitable accomodation. Also, please rest assured I have much better things to do with my time than 'fabricate' stories but I suppose you're entitled to your opinion!
  • mrputney08
    mrputney08 Posts: 132 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    Ohh, creepy,.. reminds me of that film 'Sliver' in which Sharon Stone and other lodgers are recorded and watched live in their living quarters, for no particular reason other than entertainment. :eek:
  • DUTR
    DUTR Posts: 12,958 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    stekin wrote: »
    lilac_lady no I paid the deposit via bank transfer so I also have the evidence that the £1,200 deposit went into his account.

    DUTR as I mentioned in the original post I will be moving in with my partner ASAP until I can find another suitable accomodation. Also, please rest assured I have much better things to do with my time than 'fabricate' stories but I suppose you're entitled to your opinion!

    So the landlord lives in the house, yet you contact him via text message, where were you at before you moved in?
    £11,400 in rent vs probaly £1900 deposit.
    He let you move in without an exchange of contracts, all seems very odd from both parties :o
  • stekin
    stekin Posts: 16 Forumite
    Hi DUTR,

    Yes, the landlord let me move into the house straight away (my deposit was transferred before arriving into his bank account which I gather is why he felt comfortable with me moving in prior to giving me the contract).

    For some reason you seem to think I'm making something up? Unfortunately as I am a new user here it won't let me post links though search on google for this phrase "room in 12 million pound town house bow road" and you will find the advert as the first link.

    As you will see, the rent is advertised as £950 pcm + 1200 deposit.

    I live with my partner on weekends in South London hence the contact by text.
  • I know nothing about the law in this area but simply cannot believe it's legal for a tenant OR lodger to be forced to stay in a property for a year or forfeit their entire deposit? How can that be legal?
    DMP Mutual Support Thread member 244
    Quit smoking 13/05/2013
    Joined Slimming World 02/12/13. Loss so far = 60lb in 28 weeks :j 18lb to go :o
  • BitterAndTwisted
    BitterAndTwisted Posts: 22,492 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Of course it isn't legal but this numpty landlord has drawn up the agreement himself so has stuck in all sorts of clauses which only benefit himself. I'd be thinking about getting myself to court to retrieve the deposit if the LL won't play ball.
  • DUTR
    DUTR Posts: 12,958 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    stekin wrote: »
    Hi DUTR,

    Yes, the landlord let me move into the house straight away (my deposit was transferred before arriving into his bank account which I gather is why he felt comfortable with me moving in prior to giving me the contract).

    For some reason you seem to think I'm making something up? Unfortunately as I am a new user here it won't let me post links though search on google for this phrase "room in 12 million pound town house bow road" and you will find the advert as the first link.

    As you will see, the rent is advertised as £950 pcm + 1200 deposit.

    I live with my partner on weekends in South London hence the contact by text.

    I do feel you are making something up, as I cannot imagine someone being able to afford that kind of rent money to be so gullable, it seems that the landlord makes the rules as he goes along and you agree as you go along and why ? Cos everybody else does? I'm sure you are not a lost sheep, so why act like one? my brother rents out property and having seen tenants come and go, I'm very confident that if what you write is true then he would not win a court case, but still to pay £1000s in rent just to secure a £1200 deposit return, is throwing good money after bad.
  • stekin
    stekin Posts: 16 Forumite
    Hi BitterAndTwisted - whilst I think 'morally' I have a clear arguement I'm very concerned that I've signed this contract. Legally I fear he has the authority to make me pay at least two months rent and take my deposit which is a total of £3,100 - no small sum and one I can't really afford to lose. On principle, I want to fight this as much as I can, though my worry is that in court he will have a claim to this money, despite all of the above!
  • BitterAndTwisted
    BitterAndTwisted Posts: 22,492 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    What authority? A crappy agreement he cobbled together in Word. Fight this tooth and nail
  • poppy10_2
    poppy10_2 Posts: 6,588 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    stekin wrote: »
    For some reason you seem to think I'm making something up? Unfortunately as I am a new user here it won't let me post links though search on google for this phrase "room in 12 million pound town house bow road" and you will find the advert as the first link.
    Linky

    It does clearly state the rent is per calendar month. However you had no obligation to sign the contract when he presented you the changed terms.
    Legally I fear he has the authority to make me pay at least two months rent and take my deposit which is a total of £3,100 - no small sum and one I can't really afford to lose.
    He can't make you pay anything. A court judgement can make you pay if they rule in favour of him, but they may look more sympathetically on you if you can prove his unreasonable behaviour (with the CCTV cameras etc) made it impossible for you to continue living there. I think your deposit is gone, but to be honest if it was me I would just move out and let him whistle for the two months rent.
    poppy10
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