Proof of returning house keys

gemmacide

Hi all,

I hope someone can help - I moved out of my landlords house yesterday and need to send the key back. The thing is there was no agency dealing with a contract that I can just hand the keys back to, and the landlord is a pretty creepy character, the result of such creepiness meaning I'm not keen to go back there and hand the key over.
I'm going to post it to him, but I want to cover myself because he is such a nasty piece of work, and from what he has told me about what he's done to previous tenants Im scared he may try to fit me up for something that I didnt do purely because I still have a key. He's already sent me angry texts saying I owe him money which I absolutely do not, in fact I'm paid to the end of the month AND he has my deposit, I just wanted to get out of there asap.

My friends say Im paranoid and to throw the key away but Im wondering if theres any way I can prove that I have sent the key back, I mean, I can send it recorded delivery but that doesnt prove that the key is actually in there. Even if Im paranoid I'd just rather do it right and not have to worry.

Bottom line kids - go through the agencies

pimento

Take your largest male friend with you, hand the keys over and ask him to sign a receipt (that you will already have prepared).

Or, send the keys back in a padded envelope by Special Delivery, but that will cost upwards of a fiver.

rentergirl

pimento wrote: »

Take your largest male friend with you, hand the keys over and ask him to sign a receipt (that you will already have prepared).

Or, send the keys back in a padded envelope by Special Delivery, but that will cost upwards of a fiver.

Agree with all of this, but am being shouted at on here by someone who says there is better way of proofing postal delivery. Now keep EVERYTHING you have in writing. Use post as taking a large male friend might even by seen as intimidating him. Don't risk it.

rentergirl

pimento wrote: »

Take your largest male friend with you, hand the keys over and ask him to sign a receipt (that you will already have prepared).

Or, send the keys back in a padded envelope by Special Delivery, but that will cost upwards of a fiver.

Agree with all of this, but am being shouted at on here by someone who says there is better way of proofing postal delivery. Now keep EVERYTHING you have in writing. Use post as taking a large male friend might even by seen as intimidating him. Don't risk it.

HappyMJ

I'd just give the keys to a friend to drop off for you instead of you dropping them off. Do you want your deposit back or are willing to let it go? If you want your deposit back you will have to deal with him to get it back but you can use an agency like the CAB to deal with him on your behalf by telephone if they have the time.

eira

Daughter has had some mega creepy landlords. We waited in the flat of the time for the landlord to pick up the key.we waited three hours for him to make a ten minute journey to pick up the key and check the flat. he gave various mobile messages that he was 'stuck in traffic' (this on a road ten minutes away from flat )

We rang Shelter for advice and my understanding is that as long as you have the keys you still have the tenancy. This landlord followed the dodge of not picking up recorded post -even though we had l;eft the sender's address off it. Yet again I understood that if you send the keys back recorded/signed for with all receipts from the PO you have proof you returned the keys. He never did pick up the keys.
He had a super range of scames-including meter oner. It was a utility company that suggested always getting the registration no of the meter when handing over final readings. This particular charmer had linked properties and none of the meters matched the properties they were linked to-