"reward" and extortionate charges

becca5391

Our Landlord company (Samara Homes Leeds), don't do deposits. They made us pay £100 at the start of the year which we'd get back at the end of the year if we left the house in a good condition.

Now, out of the blue, we've been given a list of extortionate charges for cleaning items in the house (some of which don't even exist), which we will be charged if we don't clean them. This wasn't mentioned before now and we move out at the end of the month. We were given no inventory at the start of the tenancy.

As well as this, I just discovered they've charged me 13 months rent when the tenancy lasted for 12.

I'm quite concerned we're going to end up with a big bill. What's the best thing to do?

G_M

becca5391 wrote: »

Our Landlord company (Samara Homes Leeds), don't do deposits. They made us pay £100 at the start of the year which we'd get back at the end of the year if we left the house in a good condition.this is a deposit, whatever they choose to call it. By law it must be registered.

Now, out of the blue, we've been given a list of extortionate charges for cleaning items in the house (some of which don't even exist), which we will be charged if we don't clean them. This wasn't mentioned before now and we move out at the end of the month. We were given no inventory at the start of the tenancy.if there is no inventory, how will they prove
a) that missing items were ever there or
b) that the property/ites were clean when you moved in

As well as this, I just discovered they've charged me 13 months rent when the tenancy lasted for 12.

I'm quite concerned we're going to end up with a big bill. What's the best thing to do?

Do you have a receipt for the £100? Does it say (or does the tenancy agreement say) you will get it back at the end?

Write (a LETTER) to the LANDLORD using the name/address on the tenancy agreement, asking them to register your £100 with an approved scheme within 5 days, and give you the required information.

Do not worry about their claims - if you do not get your £100 back, go to the small claims court. The judge will have little sympathy with this company since
a) they have tried to get round the law on deposit registration and
b) there is no inventory

You'll win.

becca5391

G_M wrote: »

Do you have a receipt for the £100? Does it say (or does the tenancy agreement say) you will get it back at the end? - it says it's a reward, and we'd get it back at the end of the tenancy. I don't have the receipt but I have a document which says this.

Write (a LETTER) to the LANDLORD using the name/address on the tenancy agreement, asking them to register your £100 with an approved scheme within 5 days, and give you the required information. - about to do this. I rang them today to inform them I was doing this but they said in one of the contracts at the start of the year I signed a form saying it wasn't a deposit so I'm not sure where I stand now.

Do not worry about their claims - if you do not get your £100 back, go to the small claims court. The judge will have little sympathy with this company since
a) they have tried to get round the law on deposit registration and
b) there is no inventory

You'll win.

They also left the property with so much rubbish in at the start of the tenancy we had to ring the council to get it removed.
And we were left with a broken (loudly beeping) fire alarm for the majority of the tenancy!

becca5391

I am going to take this forward to the small claims court because I am elegible for free legal aid. Has anyone done this before over this issue and what was the outcome?

p00hsticks

becca5391 wrote: »

Now, out of the blue, we've been given a list of extortionate charges for cleaning items in the house (some of which don't even exist), which we will be charged if we don't clean them. This wasn't mentioned before now and we move out at the end of the month. We were given no inventory at the start of the tenancy.

I'm quite concerned we're going to end up with a big bill. What's the best thing to do?

Clean them ? (at least the items that do exist!)

Presumably you were planning on doing a through clean through when leaving anyhow. Are they demanding that this is not good enough and that you must use their services ?

becca5391

p00hsticks wrote: »

Clean them ? (at least the items that do exist!)

Presumably you were planning on doing a through clean through when leaving anyhow. Are they demanding that this is not good enough and that you must use their services ?

Of course we're going to clean them. I might scan in and post on their charges though (I think it was around £150 for a toilet not cleaned to their standard).

Hopefully they're not actually going to charge anything anyway, but they seem quite dodgy so I wouldnt be surprised if they did.

dodger1

becca5391 wrote: »

I am going to take this forward to the small claims court because I am elegible for free legal aid. Has anyone done this before over this issue and what was the outcome?

What will you be claiming for in the small claims court? So far they've simply said what you would be charged if you didn't clean the place properly so as yet there doesn't appear to be an issue.

As far as the rent is concerned what does your tenancy agreement state, mothly payments or four weekly payments, if it's four weekly then there would be 13 payments each year.

G_M

becca5391 wrote: »

They also left the property with so much rubbish in at the start of the tenancy we had to ring the council to get it removed.
And we were left with a broken (loudly beeping) fire alarm for the majority of the tenancy!

Then you can leave the property in the same state if you wish! As they have no inventory, they cannot claim the handed the property over to you professionally cleaned. Better still, do you have photos from when you moved in.

The alarm - too late now. Did you report it IN WRITING during the tenancy?

Was it a battery powered stand-alone alarm, or a mains powered linked alarm? It is usually the tenant's responsibility to change the batteries, and 'beeping' is the warning that they need replacing!