My landlord hasnt protected my deposit, Wanting £500 to Replace Sofa HELP!!!!!

dgtazzman

The fact that he has reduced his request from £500 to £250 after you mentioning the deposit being protected means he full well knows he's in the wrong and what his potential position is. He is trying to paint himself off as being 'a helpful nice landlord' by reducing his demand in the hope you aren't very well informed and will just accept it, while in fact, he's just having it on and trying to use YOUR deposit to cover the costs of HIS responsibilities.

Send him a letter outlining what has been said here and tell him in no uncertain terms if he doesn't pay back your full deposit within 10 working days, you will be filing a claim. Title the letter as 'Letter before action' and keep a copy for your files, in case it does get to the point where court action is necessary. Either send it signed for, or send 2 copies, 1 from 2 different post offices, first class with proof of postage. In legal sense it will then be assumed beyond doubt that he will have received the letter.

You have your reference, thus you have no need to stay on his good side anymore. He's the one at fault, not you.

Doubt it will get to court, you just need to demonstrate you know where you legally stand and that you aren't going to roll over and play dead.

I'm also a bit conflicted about the boiler, as I read it, our tax money has paid for some wannabe landlord's new boiler, which is quite frankly despicable.

dimbo61

I'm also a bit conflicted about the boiler, as I read it, our tax money has paid for some wannabe landlord's new boiler, which is quite frankly despicable.

Energy firms will supply and fit boilers to properties with old worn out inefficient boilers if rented or owned if on certain benefits !!!!

dgtazzman

But I'm guessing in the end those energy companies get the money to pay for these scheme's from the government, not really informed about these things though, so I might be wrong, but I doubt a business is going to give things away for free, so the money must be coming from somewhere.

nickroberts

Many Thxs for all your replies u have helped

Thxs

Twiggy_34

dgtazzman wrote: »

I'm also a bit conflicted about the boiler, as I read it, our tax money has paid for some wannabe landlord's new boiler, which is quite frankly despicable.

It's not about paying for "some wannabe landlord's new boiler" as you so crudely put it, it's about enabling certain individuals/families to reduce household costs while still heating their home sufficiently by having a more efficient boiler installed, and then only if all the criteria is met. As I understand it, if there were any additional costs involved say, new radiators or plumbing, this would have to be done at the landlords expense. It's not about enabling landlords to cop out from their responsibilities to their tenants, in the majority of cases the properties will have fully functioning systems, but they might be older and not as economic/efficient as newer boilers.

dgtazzman

I can be crude, but wouldn't the grant be given based on assessment of the tenants and their situation? Yet, after the tenants leave the LL gets to keep the system without contributing to the cost of it? I'm all for people that really need it getting decent economical heating in the Winter, but this situation just seems 'off' to me?

The 'wannabe' was referring more to the deposit not being protected and sofa situation...

Twiggy_34

dgtazzman wrote: »

I can be crude, but wouldn't the grant be given based on assessment of the tenants and their situation? Yet, after the tenants leave the LL gets to keep the system without contributing to the cost of it? I'm all for people that really need it getting decent economical heating in the Winter, but this situation just seems 'off' to me?

The 'wannabe' was referring more to the deposit not being protected and sofa situation...

Thanks for clarifying, I'll admit that, as a landlord, I took immediate offence to the phrasing. To go into a slightly long (sorry) explanation of the circumstances under which my sister and I found ourselves becoming landlords last year; we were left the house after the quick and unexpected passing of our dad. We chose to keep the property because my sister was living out of the area in rented accommodation and was the only 1 of 3 siblings who didn't already have a mortgage and on the way to owning her own property. Other extenuating circumstances have it that the property happened to have been built by a great great grandparent back in the early 1900's meaning that there was something of a sentimental attachment to our dad and we wanted to keep it in the family as long as reasonably possible - it might be that my sister moves in herself in years to come when she's ready to start a family, if they move back to the area.

Anyway, the circumstances mean that we cannot currently justify paying out for a new boiler while the old one continues to work, especially as we are in the midst of having other expensive maintenance work performed on the property. I do see your point though, and we ourselves are ensuring we save a pot of cash to enable us to replace it when that inevitable time comes, so we're not neglecting our responsibilities to deal with it if/when it does need replacement. However, the scheme is available and if the tenants wanted to do it then we're hardly going to say no! Ultimately, in the majority of cases, the property is likely to be let again after the tenants who organised and qualified for the free boiler leave, so apart from the cost of purchasing and fitting a new boiler, it will solely go on to benefit the tenants. Bearing in mind that the boiler which has been replaced might have gone on to work for many more years had it not been replaced.

Slinky

Can I just point out that your inventory says they are leather sofas, not 'faux' as you've been talking about. They may have been faux, but that's not what's listed in the inventory.

tangojulie

Just wondering how you can be sure that the deposit wasn't in a protected scheme? There are two sorts of schemes, one kind keeps the money in the scheme, but in the other kind the landlord keeps it himself.

topdaddy_2

tangojulie wrote: »

Just wondering how you can be sure that the deposit wasn't in a protected scheme? There are two sorts of schemes, one kind keeps the money in the scheme, but in the other kind the landlord keeps it himself.

You can check online. Or phone them.