Questions about inventory validity if owners are new?

Rarchy

Hi,

Wondering if anyone can offer any advice on the below:

I have lived in my current flat for 3 years and 8 months with 3 other girls (I am the only original tenant however they are all named on the contract as each time someone left the name was changed on all documents). We deal with a property management company (Thamesview), not through the landlord.

The flat was owned by the same person until around Feb when it was sold to a new owner. A couple of months ago they served notice that we would need to leave in Aug.

When I moved in there was an official “check-in” where the condition of the items were recorded, but no inventory done and I was not shown anything. Since some of my housemates moved in they asked to see the inventory but when we asked Thamesview for this several times they always said no one could find one so we assumed it was long since lost.

We have now been told that we will have an official “check-out” on 12 Aug, and they will chek the flat according to the inventory and the last check-in. Now they have suddenrly “discovered” these documents and sent us an inventory from 2007 (which none of us have ever seen!), and the “check-in” from nearly 4 years ago. I looked at the inventory quickly and it has things on it which were never part of the flat I moved into (such as a hoover, or other appliances), plus it was made 2 and a hald years before our tenancy began, so I do not see how it holds any validity.

In addition, we are now worried they are going to charge us for things which are damaged – its not like we have caused any specific damage, but for instance on the main kitchen table a leg is damaged not through any specific use, but I don’t know if this would be deemed wear and tear? There are other things which have broken and fallen apart over time, again not through mis-use, but I can see they would look at it as actual damage which they will charge us for.

What we are confused about is how these documents are valid when surely the flat was bought in the condition it is currently in, not the condition it was in 2009. The new owners saw the flat when they bought it and so comparing it to something from 2007 and 2009 doesn’t make sense. I would understand if it was the same owners because we took it from them, but these new people have paid for a flat based on the value and condition of it now, not 4 years ago.


We mentioned this to the management company but they disagree. We have had so many issues with them, and the new owners have been very difficult and sneaky (changing the t&Cs of the contract without pointing it out, not replacing a lot of furniture which was taken by the previous owner so we have been without for 2 months etc)

Do we have any valid argument here or do we just have to deal with it?

Thanks

Rachel

pinkshoes

If there is not an inventory SIGNED by you, then they will be hard pushed to prove the initial condition.

If it is dated before you even lived there, then they are clutching at straws!!

anselld

Change of ownership is irrelevant.
However, they will really struggle to justify any deductions based on an inventory which does not match your tenancy start date and none of you have signed.
Check that your deposit is correctly protected and dispute any unfair deductions via the protection scheme.

G_M

As above 2 posts.

furniture which was taken by the previous owner

Did you consent to the removal? If yes, you can hardly complain!

If no, how did he remove?

Was there any written record of the removal? (though this may not matter as there was no valid record/inventory the furniture was ever there...)