Yet another end of tenancy question

TDMum

Preface : I live in Scotland

After thinking our LL was fair and professional it seems that this is not the case. She is being extremely picky about "the state of cleanliness". It was not professionally cleaned when we moved in and we have scrubbed every inch of the place and had the carpets steam cleaned. This apparently is not good enough. The garden is a bone of contention too. We're willing to take a hit on the garden and let her have £100 of our deposit to get a gardener in as we don't have the time to rectify it to her standards (the way we trimmed the hedges aren't straight enough etc). However, we are not willing to take a hit on the "cleanliness issue".

We don't have a copy of the inventory or tenancy agreement as she took it away to be signed and witnessed and never brought it back. Is this allowed? We have the keys for another few days, if I request our copies and she's not forthcoming how can we know what is expected of us regarding the return condition of the property? We were only there're 6 months and the condition we have left the place in is no different than when we arrived with the exceptions of not leaving a cupboard full of food and an unwanted sofa in the garden that was promised to be removed but never was despite us asking a few times.

I am not one for confrontation etc but the way my husband was spoken to has disgusted me. He is a grown man, not a child therefore I won't stand to be spoken to in that way and would like to know where I stand before seeing the LL to hand the keys back and see if our "filthy house" meets her standards yet.
I am going to take pictures but who do I get to sign them? Is it the LL or just an independent person ie old neighbour?

Sorry if this is long and garbled.

G_M

Why do tenants so often wait till the end of the tenancy, or a problem to arise, to start requesting documents they should have been asking for 6 months previously.....?

Ok - back to the issue:

* can you not remember what condition the property was in at the start? That is how you should leave it. And presumably the inventory reflects that or you wouldnot have signed it.

* so clean/repair/replace to that standard

* and if the LL still tries to deduct, then raise a dispute with the relevant scheme.

TDMum

We have asked the whole way through for our copies. There was confusion at the beginning as it was let through an EA but then we were told the EA was nothing to do with the property anymore so had chased the wrong people at the beginning, then were told they'd be dropped in but never were.

I remember clearly how it was left (dog hair on the kitchen plinths, ew!) but the LL seems to have grander impressions of the state of cleanliness it was in.

I'm no doubt working myself up for nothing as we have not done anything wrong. I think the way she spoke to my husband is what's bugging me the most to be honest. Common decency and politeness costs nothing.