General checkout Advice please

bluemonkeymagic

Hi, just a quick post to get some feedback before my checkout on Wednesday from a flat I have rented for 18 months.

I am a bit nervous about it, one of his builders warned me that the landlord is a bit of a money grabber and is picky with the checkouts.

General Info

I moved into a 2 bedroom flat on 23rd December 2011

I was never offered or have signed an inventory for the flat

I moved out of the flat on the 25th May although my lease runs until Wednesday 26th June.

The flat came part furnished and as of last week the flat was immaculate. Cleaned floor to ceiling and was in better condition than when I moved in however over the weekend he had let builders in to do some work on the damp in the flat and it's now dusty and unclean.

I tried to ring him over the weekend and ended up texting him explaining that the flat was clean before his guys came in and that I shouldn't be held responsible for the cleanliness of flat now.

No reply.

The only thing I think he'll try and pull me up on is the external wall which Virgin Media poked a hole through when they installed my services in January 2012. It's not the tidiest installation but they blame the fact that there was tons of rubbish in the front garden (the landlord didn't get that sorted for 3 months).

I have made a note of some of the problems/issues I had with the flat during my tenency

There was severe damp in the living room, both bedrooms and bathroom. I reported this when I first moved in and it was never sorted. I did have a bad cough while I was living there but its fading now.

The flat has a card based electric system, which you can only top up by buying cards direct from the landlord. I was roughly paying £65 a month for electric. The flat has a boiler which is used by the other two flats too. I asked about the electric costs for this when I first moved in but it was passed off as being a minimal cost but I have calculated, that while I have been out the flat it's using over £1 a day to power the boiler just for the other flats. That's over £600 since I moved into the flat just to power the boiler.

Am I within my rights to claim 2/3 of this money back?

The Washing Machine has been broken in the flat since 16th April, he texted me on the 14th May to say that he had ordered a new machine, nothing materialised. I expect it was because he knew I was moving out but surely it should have been replaced?

Several of the smoke alarms in the property were broken/missing when I moved in and there is only one way in and out of the property.

I had rats in the flat in January 2012 which I reported but I was ignored, I had to spend £45 on traps to catch the rats myself!

I am sorry for the essay, I have had ages to dwell on the checkout and this weekend with the builders has just pushed me over the edge, any reassurance/ammunition/advice is much appreciated.

Thank you
David

bluemonkeymagic

sorry to bump but I have my checkout tomorrow and this board moves really fast!!

Cheers

BitterAndTwisted

NO dual-signed inventory equals no evidence to make deductions from your deposit.

Which deposit-protection scheme was your deposit registered with?

I can't help with the boiler electricity/situation. Buy directly cards from him? Sounds like a crook.

bluemonkeymagic

thanks for the reply, the deposit was originally with My Deposits but they switched to DPS last year.

dodger1

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

NO dual-signed inventory equals no evidence to make deductions from your deposit.

Would that also include the hole in the wall for the Virgin Media cable?

bluemonkeymagic

Yeah the Virgin thing bothers me the most, although he approved the installation in writing and spoke to the engineer to confirm the cable route in, it's the Virgin media work man ship he is !!!!ed about.

G_M

I assume you've been paying rent upto 26 June? You did not stop when you moved out?

What does your tenancy agreement say about bills? eg the boiler supplying the other flats? Unless this is somehow written into the tenancy agreement (ie allowed for by the rent agreed) Ithink you have a goodclaim for 2/3rd of the cost back. Have you just been paying electric for their boiler, or ALL their electricity? Thiswouldneed apportioning.

The dirt shouldnotbe an issue since
a) he has had workmen in and
b) there is no check-in report describing toecondition then
However - did you take photos? That would clinch it.

Did you report the washing machine properly? In writing? What does the tenancy agreement say about the washing machine? As you've left - it's a bit late now anyway!

Since you have permission in writing for the Virgin, there should be no problem.

bluemonkeymagic

randomly, my landlord has just texted to say he's put the deposit into my bank account and he's coming round to my new address later to collect the keys...RESULT!

Thanks for all the input!