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Getting my deposit back from private landlord
goldentrain
Posts: 2 Newbie
Hi,
I know I'm not the only one with this problem and I have spent quite a lot of time on this forum to try to get some info regarding my problem, though most of what I've read is very helpful, I was hoping you could get me some advice for my particular situation...
I have rented a room in a house during 6 months and lived with the landlord. I've moved out of the house 4 months ago. On my departure, the LL gave me £100 out of the £280 deposit back in cash and said to me she would make a bank transfer soon for the rest but I'm still waiting for the money and she is now completely ignoring me. What can I do knowing that:
1) The deposit was not protected, as I lived with the LL, the LL doesn't have to protect it (so have I been told...)
2) The only written agreement I have is a receipt of the deposit I gave her when I moved in, saying that a one-month notice was needed before moving out (no info regarding when I would get the deposit back)
3) I mostly paid her cash, weekly (except the last month, by bank transfer after giving her notice of my departure). I have always given her the money directly and on time.
4) I don't have a receipt of part of the deposit (£100) she gave me back on my departure, but my boyfriend who was helping me to move out was there when she handed me the money and said she would repay the rest (£180) later.
5) I have a text message from her saying the money would be in my bank by the end of September
6) In this same text message, she is making-up things, saying the night I gave her notice, she found out I had stopped the direct debit without notice and paid her one week late (which is not true), therefore she would deduct one week from the deposit she is supposed to repay. But before I gave her notice, I had never paid her by bank transfer, only cash and a direct debit had never been set up. Also, I had really paid her one week late, why wouldn't she have said anything about it when I left as we lived together?
She is lying, which shows she is clearly trying to get away with this.
7) My LL does no longer show any sign of cooperation. She is now totally ignoring my calls and messages, when I was politely asking her to let me know what was going on. I recently got a text message from her after trying to call her several times one day, asking me to stop hassling her otherwise she would call the police, after I sent her a text earlier saying “I can call you everyday if needed” when I told her she owes me money and that I needed the deposit back (which is ironic because she said she could use my text which basically says she’s a thief, to prove the police my nuisance).
I have stopped trying to get in touch with her but told her I would be taking legal advice to recover the deposit, saying that she has had sufficient opportunity to to repay my deposit but she has failed to do so in the time frame she had previously indicated in her text message to me.
So basically, I am trying to get my deposit back, worth £180, from my old dodgy LL. I know I should have been more vigilant but at least now that's lesson learned for me!
I am going to call the Citizens Advice Bureau to get some help but from what I have read on this forum and on the Internet, my only alternative here would be to send her a letter (from two different post offices with proof of postage, keeping a copy of the letter with me) giving her 14 days to repay the rest of the deposit otherwise I will have no alternative but to take this dispute to the small claims court.
Thanks a lot!
I know I'm not the only one with this problem and I have spent quite a lot of time on this forum to try to get some info regarding my problem, though most of what I've read is very helpful, I was hoping you could get me some advice for my particular situation...
I have rented a room in a house during 6 months and lived with the landlord. I've moved out of the house 4 months ago. On my departure, the LL gave me £100 out of the £280 deposit back in cash and said to me she would make a bank transfer soon for the rest but I'm still waiting for the money and she is now completely ignoring me. What can I do knowing that:
1) The deposit was not protected, as I lived with the LL, the LL doesn't have to protect it (so have I been told...)
2) The only written agreement I have is a receipt of the deposit I gave her when I moved in, saying that a one-month notice was needed before moving out (no info regarding when I would get the deposit back)
3) I mostly paid her cash, weekly (except the last month, by bank transfer after giving her notice of my departure). I have always given her the money directly and on time.
4) I don't have a receipt of part of the deposit (£100) she gave me back on my departure, but my boyfriend who was helping me to move out was there when she handed me the money and said she would repay the rest (£180) later.
5) I have a text message from her saying the money would be in my bank by the end of September
6) In this same text message, she is making-up things, saying the night I gave her notice, she found out I had stopped the direct debit without notice and paid her one week late (which is not true), therefore she would deduct one week from the deposit she is supposed to repay. But before I gave her notice, I had never paid her by bank transfer, only cash and a direct debit had never been set up. Also, I had really paid her one week late, why wouldn't she have said anything about it when I left as we lived together?
She is lying, which shows she is clearly trying to get away with this.
7) My LL does no longer show any sign of cooperation. She is now totally ignoring my calls and messages, when I was politely asking her to let me know what was going on. I recently got a text message from her after trying to call her several times one day, asking me to stop hassling her otherwise she would call the police, after I sent her a text earlier saying “I can call you everyday if needed” when I told her she owes me money and that I needed the deposit back (which is ironic because she said she could use my text which basically says she’s a thief, to prove the police my nuisance).
I have stopped trying to get in touch with her but told her I would be taking legal advice to recover the deposit, saying that she has had sufficient opportunity to to repay my deposit but she has failed to do so in the time frame she had previously indicated in her text message to me.
So basically, I am trying to get my deposit back, worth £180, from my old dodgy LL. I know I should have been more vigilant but at least now that's lesson learned for me!
I am going to call the Citizens Advice Bureau to get some help but from what I have read on this forum and on the Internet, my only alternative here would be to send her a letter (from two different post offices with proof of postage, keeping a copy of the letter with me) giving her 14 days to repay the rest of the deposit otherwise I will have no alternative but to take this dispute to the small claims court.
Thanks a lot!
0
Comments
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Welcome!
Stop calling and sending text messages, these are little use as evidence you need a paper trail. Do not threaten or harass your landlord, you can get in trouble with the police regardless of whether you think you have good cause. Send a letter before action to your landlord, enclosing copies of all evidence (you could try downloading or transcribing relevant texts so she knows you retained them) and a copy of the completed small claims action paperwork, adapt one of the online templates. There is every chance she is not taking you seriously because you are using informal communication and showing signs of desperation with texting and calling repeatedly. Declutterbug-in-progress.⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️0 -
Thank you Fire Fox for your help, it's well appreciated! Could you tell me where I can find the online template for this please?0
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There is one by Shelter that I have linked to many times if you run a search, go for the longer not the shorter version.Declutterbug-in-progress.⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️0
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