Advice please asap

kanday

Hi well to try cut it short I was renting a house through a private estate agents for 8 months, the house was very grubby and badly decorated and the landlord knew this and seemed really nice when I spoke to him he apologised for not having time to clean it properly and said I could do anything to the house obviously that was an improvement as it needed lots doing to it, so I got the room re plastered and decorated but after falling down the steep attic steps with my baby and breaking my toe because they had no handrail nor did the downstairs bedroom stairs, I decided that not only could I not afford to live there anymore it was very unsafe for me and my children. I gave my notice to the agents and found a new property, when it came to leaving I and my friend who is a cleaner cleaned the property and I bought some spot lights that needed replacing that I hadnt been able to reach. Then I get a quote from the agents for work needing doing adding up to over £400 without VAT. I was very upset as they were trying to charge me for things that were already wrong with the house as well as £120 cleaning and £20 for someone to put the bulbs in. I spoke with the agent who said they hadn't spoke to the landlord and so were quoting me without even checking I had done what they were saying! Obviously I then emailed the landlord and asked them to contact the agents to confirm what the property was like before I moved in.

I then got an email (i asked for all contact to be in writing at this point) from the agent saying she had now spoke to the agent and would I agree to pay cleaning of the house (the checking out report said under a toilet seat was slightly mucky but this was a old stained plastic seat!) cleaning of stairs carpet, someone to replace the bulbs I left all adding up to £175 without VAT so basically they now acknowledge I shouldn't be charged for the other stuff they were trying to charge me for? I have said I don't agree to pay for cleaning when the house wasn't clean when I entered it and I had a professional cleaner help me clean it anyway, I will agree to pay for the stairs carpet cleaning even though they were worn and grubby anyway. I sent my reply last tue and I have heard nothing back, I sent another email requesting their decision on Friday too. I need my bond back to put carpets in my children's room and other things, can anyone please offer any advice this is really stressing me out. Sorry for the long post and thank you to anyone who reads it.

19lottie82

1) Was the poor condition of the property noted in an inventory when you moved in?

2) Is your deposit protected?

3) Why did you agree to pay for the cleaning of the stair carpets if thye were like that when you moved in?

And...... don't email. Put anything formal in actual WRITING.

HB58

Contact the scheme that has your deposit registered and request its return.

kanday

Thanks for your replys. Yes the inventory notes the house needs work throughout and was grubby but there was a lot missed off of it too that were on the leaving inventory but the landlord knows the state of the house so I wasn't worried about that I'm hoping they are honest.

Yes the deposit is in a tenancy deposit scheme should I now contact them? I agreed to pay for the stairs because I wanted to show willing, I had a cat and maybe there was a few hairs we didn't get up and I'm a very honest person and even though it didn't say they needed cleaning because of pet hairs I hope they see I'm not saying I disagree to pay for cleaning if I really thought I should.

It's been a week since I last contacted them and over a week since they last contacted me. Maybe me saying I was going to see someone about them renting an unsafe property is something to do with that? I don't know I just need my deposit back now this is ridicules and pretty disgusting.

BitterAndTwisted

Get onto the deposit-protection schemes' website and claim the whole of your deposit back now. This will mean that should the landlord choose to make a deduction which you do not agree with, you will have the opportunity to dispute.

In the meantime, do not acknowledge any dirt or damage to the property that you are certain you were not responsible for. WRITE to the landlord copying in the agent and make your observatins, inculduing reference to the lack of a handrail (this is very a serious health & safety issue) and that being the reason why you decided to end the tenancy after sustaining a fall. Also mention the free plastering and decorating you undertook with the landlord's permission because the place was in such a terrible state. Having to pay to have the place cleaned when it was dirty when you moved in is a gross insult! Keep a copy of your letter as you may need to show this to the deposit-protection scheme's arbitrators if you raise a dispute.

All other tenants reading this: never, EVER carrying out plastering and/or redecorating to a landlord's property unless you negotiate something back in return. Like a decent length of AST or a reduction in rent. Otherwise you risk being given notice the very moment you have finished improving the landlord's property free of charge.