Aaahhh! Landord wants to deduct £420 from deposit!

lindsaygalaxy

Please help, even if it just to keep me calm.

Moved out on 17th November. Been waiting until today to get a response through the deposit scheme. They want to deduct £420 from a £900 deposit - with no reason given.

Last time we heard from them was over a month ago when they left a message on the phone stating these issues ( I should add it was a private rental but the new tenants are through an agent. They moved in a week after we left).

green waste still in recycling bin - I told them to leave it out on the collection date. I had already put the other bins out.

Oven not clean enough - already cleaned.

House not clean enough - cleaned by 3 people all day.

Inventory was basic (signed) and just said newly painted in some rooms, and no mention of oven or anything else.

Lived there nearly 4 years.

Guest101

Simple.

Dispute it. The only evidence the have is the inventory. If u left the house in a similar state, ie less wear and tear. U have done nothing wrong.

Let the arbitrator decide.

sandsni

Just keep disputing the deductions with the scheme and then it will go to arbitration when the LL will have to prove actual monetary loss (i.e. quotes, receipts etc. for work required) and the scheme will take account of the 4 years you lived there (fair wear and tear). If the check-in inventory was basic and had no photos, then they will have a hard time proving you left £420 worth of remedial work.

lindsaygalaxy

Thank you so much for your replies. What happens if they stop reposinding to the scheme? Will I need to make a claim through small claims?

vegasvisitor

That's awful. If I was renting a property I'd be happy to have a tenant that lasted 4 years, so cleaning an oven and giving the rest of the place a once over and emulsion would be pretty standard I'd think. Hope you manage to get it back.

sandsni

Were you given the prescribed information? AFAIK it should tell you what happens if you and the LL can't come to an agreement and what happens if either party is uncontactable by the scheme (i.e. if they stop responding).

lindsaygalaxy

It looks like you have to go through court action as it requires something to be signed by a solicitor before you send it to them? I wouldnt mind if we had left it in a mess, but we left it really well!

Guest101

lindsaygalaxy wrote: »

It looks like you have to go through court action as it requires something to be signed by a solicitor before you send it to them? I wouldnt mind if we had left it in a mess, but we left it really well!

??? No idea what u mean, elaborate. Court is the final final final option

M0ney

lindsaygalaxy wrote: »

Thank you so much for your replies. What happens if they stop reposinding to the scheme? Will I need to make a claim through small claims?

If you despute it and the landlord doesn't respond the arbitraitor will likely have no grounds to give any funds to the landlord and give it back to you instead.

lindsaygalaxy

It says to click Single claim, when you do a statutory claim form is sent to you that you have to get signed by a solicitor.

benjus

lindsaygalaxy wrote: »

It says to click Single claim, when you do a statutory claim form is sent to you that you have to get signed by a solicitor.

Basically you need to declare that you are telling the truth in your submission to the deposit scheme. Just take the printed form along to any solicitor and pay them £5 (fixed fee). It doesn't mean that it is going to court.