The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

fuddle

nutty your DD doesn't have to pay anything if she's in a private rental. Her deposit, by law, has to be protected. If the LL wishes to take from that deposit s/he should apply to the impartial place that holds the deposit. The LL then has to prove that DD caused worsening damage and your DD would disprove with photo's, cleaning equipment receipts and hopefully she has photos of the items when moved in.

The landlord needs a statement of condition as well as inventory and photos of the condition before your DD moved in, if he is to have a hope in hecks chance of winning the deposit money.

Don't give in to this. I went through all this with that horrible LL from the damp house. If you remember he tried to get £400 for a replacement mirrored wardrobe door that was already broke when we moved in. He bullied and bullied but in the end I won because he didn't have the correct paperwork. It didn't even get to a place where I had to defend myself with my proof.

Don't give in. LL can't expect a shiny new toilet or unused hob. It would be interesting to know the age of the items to work out whether the £200 demand is justified anyway.

nuttyp

Fuddle thanks for the advice. We have to re clean the kitchen units, get a tiny bit of carbon deposit off the hob that has no instructions on it - its that old. The toilet has a small amount of limescale in the bottom, the bath has too and there is some marks in the grouting but the house is that damp. Oh and she wants the hedge trimming - it wasn't when they moved in. As a ball park figure that's what the estate agents think it will be.
The upside is they cant let the house at the moment as its sooooo cold here. And there is no heating on so its like syberia in there. The estate agent was also told by the owner to increase the rent by £75 a month, another reason why its not letting. Greedyness taking over.


Both me and OH have decided to go in and do the jobs and only the jobs listed.

fuddle

The estate agents can think all they like :rotfl: Just for arguments sake I would do those few jobs and forget about it. limescale and a bit burn on an old hob will not get a return of £200. Sounds like they want to charge for a professional cleaner. The reality most probably will be that they will re let without even adressing the problems. Ask me how I know :rotfl:

We soaked the toilet with white vinegar overnight over about 3 nights. That did the trick. Also soaked around the rim with clagged on vinegar soaked tissue paper too. regrouting is so easy, really cheap and very effective. Otherwise bleach, bicarb mixture helps.

nuttyp

Thanks fuddle, we are going tomorrow after work. Both me and OH have to be in very early tomorrow. The landlady has had some building work done, and we seen they haven't finished yet.... 2 weeks after it started. Karma is definatley on its way.

ginnyknit

Nutty take photo's when its done as evidence! You never know how low someone will stoop to keep money in their account.

greywitch

havnt really any different advice than others have mention but stay strong fuddle and nurse maggie thinking of you

Softstuff

This may give you a little giggle, talking about rentals and estate agents (and for some of you that's needed, sending love too.)

My friend has just started a job for an estate agent in their lettings dept. She has to go into a house before it's due to be let and do a report on its condition with photos. She was in a house recently doing this, and to take a photo of a window, had to pull the curtain aside. As she did so, the whole blinkin' rail fell down on her. Not to worry, she thinks, I'll just put it back. She gets one end of the rail back in its fittings then looks up.... it appears she's forgotten she's only 5ft 2 and can't possibly reach to put the other end up :rotfl: Scared to go back to the office (having made the condition of the house worse!), she heads to a nearby house and finds a tall lady to help.

Over here it's pretty much as Fuddle describes, the estate agent takes photos as you go in for a "condition report", you sign off on it and get a copy. As you go out, they go in and check all is as said. So unless the landlord has some proof, he doesn't have a cat in hells chance. Wish I had know that back when I was at uni and lost a 400 quid deposit (the place was crap when we moved in and crap when we moved out).

I may be bracing myself and heading briefly to the shops today. I got a voucher delivered from a survey site yesterday and I really want a Christmas tree.

Love to all. I don't think I say it much, but you all mean a lot to me. Sometimes when OH is working long hours, you're the only ones I speak to all day.

bluebag

Nutty, the landlord is entitled to have the place cleaned, that does not mean professionally cleaned. It just means clean, with allowances for normal wear and tear.

Shelter has some really good information on their website for tenants. Some landlords have no clue about the law and ask for stuff they have no right to.

monnagran

Lightning visit.

Fuddle: Stay strong. Do what you feel comfortable with. Consign your sister to history. Always remember that you are loved very much.

Softstuff: Re: suet. I never use suet in my mincemeat, (but I do use a satisfying amount of brandy,)

Nutty: As the others have said - the LL is trying it on and pushing his luck. I don't know how long your DD has been there but allowance has to be made for wear and tear.

All hectic here. we do have a couple of days off next week when we hope to get a few jobs done that have been neglected too long. A dresser and 4 bookcases need to be painted, a carpet needs a shampoo, my study needs sorting and some drawer units built, and some curtains shortened and hung. My DB &DSiL are coming to stay for a few days the following week and the spare room, which has been used as a dumping ground, needs to be cleared up and made welcoming.
Today we had the first Christmas meal - the first of many I fear.
Memo to self: Look out all elastic waisted trousers and skirts.

x

nursemaggie

Oh Sortstuff I thought that was just me. Have to admit last few days DS could talk the hind leg off a donkey. Imagining your sister with the curtain down is hilarious. Sort of thing that happens to me.

When we moved in to our last property all but one net curtain was riddled with holes. I washed them a few days before we moved out. Put 4 net curtains in the washer took about 350 out. I rang the agents a told a young man in the office what had happened.

He said "hang back up"

He could not see the funny side and I told him to write down what I had said.

They still tried to claim the money from them until I pointed out they were already worn out before we moved in and they had been hung in the sun all day for 5 more years. They still tried it on but they could not get away with it.

Monna your elastic waists have my sympathy. I once ate 4 Christmas dinners and went to a party with a big buffet in just 3 day. I did not eat anything for 3 days. Then I had to have 3 more, like the Rev it was work.

Thank You Geywitch.

DS has reapplied for his housing benefit I just hope the council tax department reply soon.

I think we will try googling for the collage first as he has the name. I hope that Google gives us the address and telephone number. Apart from the proof he would like to know where his certificate is.

I just wish DS39 would be reasonable. He is jealous, for no reason, of his brother.

Stay strong Fuddle I am sure you know that alcoholics will lie and cheat to get sympathy. Until you mother genuinely goes for professional help there really is nothing you can do but listen. Inadvertently your sister has probably done the right thing to get your mam to see how far she has fallen. She needs to suffer for what she has done to be able to ask for help.