Landlord trying to keep deposit because of 'DUST'

docgreenfingers

My daughter has just moved out of her rented home. We spent a two hard days cleaning the property before handing the keys back. Yesturday my daughter recieved a letter from the letting agent (Jordans) saying that they had inspected the vacated property and wanted to bring in professional cleaners as they had found the place left dirty! Asked what was dirty they said a shelf had dust on it and two small marks on tiled floor! Now we cleaned it top to bottom and I even took images and video before we left. We left it cleaner than when she moved in. They have said that she will not get her deposit back unless she agrees to them letting proffessional cleaners in and she has to foot the bill. What annoyes me is that the property has lots of damp and mould on walls which needs treating and this is not her fault but caused by structual issues and a boiler leaking. They never did anything about it while she was in the property. But they dont say anything about the mould and that it needs cleaning.

No deposit back because of some dust on a shelf I just cant believe what they are saying.

This is a big reputable firm too!
Has anyone else had the same problem and what should my daughter do as she is very upset and needs her deposit back.
Thanks

vax2002

The deposit should be in a deposit protection scheme.
However they generally always fall on the landlords side.

Apply to the DPS for return of the deposit.
When they refuse issue a county court claim against the Landlord not the agents.

Sandhy

I hate to say this but it happened to me too.

I put up a fight but eventually had to throw in the towel and take the reduction out of my deposit

Cleverly worded so that it makes you look like a filthy piece of .... :eek:

"Cleaning was substandard" "Cleaning and sanitizing costs ... blah blah"

Standards of cleaning are so subjective.

I felt the whole thing stinks and a money-making scam whereby the agent are seen to be doing 'something' to make themselves look good to the LL.

docgreenfingers

If we have video and photo evidence and her depodit is protected by the TDS does this not give her anychance then? I thought she may have a chance with the deposit being held by TDS

abankerbutnotafatcat

Same thing happened to me six months ago, also a big firm - LEADERS you @~*&%$!!!

They proposed taking £180 out of c£1100 deposit for marks on the carpet and dust on the lounge lampshade (they were hideous old, fabric lampshades). I admit I didn't clean the lampshades but in the six months I was there I did not make any marks on the carpet and the inventory said the carpet was old and marked. So from my point of view it was £180 to dust a nasty old lampshade - wish I earned that much!!

Anyway, I lodged a complaint with the Dispute Service and included correspondence where i'd requested replacement lamps (at my expense) as they were so disgusting. I lost.

They robbed me. I feel angry. But I've put it down to experience and will just rubbish LEADERS at every chance i get - like now!!:rotfl:

Sandhy

I strongly suspect there's a nice bit of 'palm-greasing' between some LAs and the pro cleaners :mad:

docgreenfingers

Think if Martin Lewis got word of whats happening maybe he could help us out? Maybe someone like the moderators or even admin could pass this posting on to him.
We need someone like him to put a stop to this scam.

phil_b_2

I think pretty much all agents try to pull this one. If you took images and video then you can mention it and call their bluff. If they get the sense that you won't go quietly you could get some joy. Most tenants probably just swallow the bit taken off their deposit and agents know that.

Sandhy

Are these the agents you mention?

http://www.allagents.co.uk/jordans-residential-lettings-ltd/

I found my ex-LAs on here with equally damning reviews to which I'll add my tuppence worth very soon!

BitterAndTwisted

Dust and dirt is not a matter of opinion, it is a matter of fact. Your daughter should get onto the TDS website and claim the whole of her deposit back immediately. If the landlord or their agent want make a deduction your daughter should dispute it if she thinks it's unreasonable. The balance of her deposit should be returned to her pending the dispute being settled. She can decide to dispute their proposed deduction and make the landlord/agent go through the scheme's arbitration process.

I don't think it's true that the schemes are weighted in the landlord's favour. What matters is what proof they have of the condition of the property at the start of the tenancy and what proof they have of how it was different at the check-out.

Was there a dual-signed inventory at the start of her tenancy?

In my opinion some tenants let themselves be bamboozled by landlords and agents because they don't understand the landlord's burden of proof in order to justify any deductions. It's not for the tenant to have to prove the opposite. Dated photos and/or video-footage is very handy for a tenant to have but they need to have it at both ends of the tenancy in order to satisfy the arbitrators

tbs624

docgreenfingers - what evidence does the LA/LL have of the condition of the property at the start of the tenancy? Jointly signed in inventory in place?

As B&T says the LA/LL has to return any undisputed amount of the deposit pronto - if there are a couple of fairly minor cleaning issues to resolve they cannot simply hold on to the whole of the deposit as some form of blackmail/punishment for failing to consent to deductions without a murmur.