won't return balance of deposit

polly7_2

I paid £850 deposit. left 2 months ago and after a battle she gave back £500 as she said she needed to keep some back to clean stain off settee cover. She later said drycleaning cost her £180!!! and she has receipts. I have still to receive them. She also said carpet was dirty. This weas cleaned twice with carpet shampooer machine and left clean (but slightly damp) when I left. The following day she had an elec tri cian in to repair a wiring fault. She did not come down to visit for a further 2 weeks. I think the electrician made it dirty. She is trying to claim more money for cleaning carpet again. I have emailed, left messages and even sent recorded delivery letter. She is refusing to answer me. How do I get my money back. This will cost too much in small claims court and there won't be any deposit left.
help please. this isn't fair

lynzpower

you need to go to the samll claims court- you are right it doesnt sound fair at all.

If you take her to the small claims court and you win which it sounds like you probably will ( sorry 180 for dry cleaning a sofa cover? no way does it cost that much|) she will have to produce 3 quotes on headed paper and prove shes chosen the cheapest.

Bet she wont be able to do that my local lundrette charges about 15 quid for this sort of thing.,

cattie

Did she have the sofa covers cleaned at Harrods? I paid around £60 last year to have the covers of my 3 seater sofa dry cleaned. Dry cleaners go by weight for covers & curtains & my covers are good quality & not flimsy material. I could have got mine done a little cheaper at a different place, but chose to use the one closest to home.

Gingernutmeg

I don't think it costs that much to make a clain through the small claims court - I *think* that you can do it online for about £30, and I believe that you get that refunded if you win the case.

Also, did you have a proper check out inventory done? This should have listed the condition of the sofa and carpets and so you should be able to prove that they were clean when you left the property. I'm not sure but I also suspect that if there's no inventory then your landlady won't be able to claim for any damage ...

polly7_2

Gingernutmeg wrote: »

I don't think it costs that much to make a clain through the small claims court - I *think* that you can do it online for about £30, and I believe that you get that refunded if you win the case.

Also, did you have a proper check out inventory done? This should have listed the condition of the sofa and carpets and so you should be able to prove that they were clean when you left the property. I'm not sure but I also suspect that if there's no inventory then your landlady won't be able to claim for any damage ...

there ws an inventory done by the letting agents when i went in (everything was relatively new & very pale cream!) when I left she dealt with it herself but as she lives a long way away no-one was there to do an iventory. I know there was a small stain on one of the covers. She states that the contract said I had to have the covers and carpets professionally cleaned when i left. this is true but no way could i affrd to do that. I hired a carpet shampooer and the curtains were fine. When i queried the price of drycleaning the settee covers she said they were done by Johnsons (a subsidary of Sketchleys). never heard of them. She is ignoring me completely.
Does anyone have a website addres I could do a claims online?

Generali

Write her a letter: return my money within 14 days or I'll sue.

If you don't get your money back after 14 days send another letter saying 'I want my money back. 7 days or I sue'.

Then go to the small claims court.

If you go to the Citizens Advise Bureau, they'll take you through the entire process for free. Mrs Generali is currently taking an ex-landlady to court in that way. LL thought that a bag of garden rubbish left behind by mistake was worth £1,000 of my deposit.

real1314

Johnsons the Cleaners: http://www.johnsoncleaners.co.uk/index.htm

You could try ringing them for a rough price on cleaning sofa covers?