LL keeps arranging viewings without notice

millysg1

Any updates?

sartois

Hi, well since the Legal Advisor from Shelter sent them a letter informing them of their legal rights and advised them of the potential consequences of their harassment and the potential illegal eviction they have been super quiet, have hardly heard a peep from them. They did arrange a couple of viewings but neither potential tenant showed up so haven't seen or heard much from them. I don't think this arranging viewings in advance situation is working out for them. The fact they are overpricing the apartment probably isn't helping either.

Anyway, I have been busy moving into new place and have emptied all my stuff from rented place. Got some cleaners to clean it and it is now spotless (and I have photos to prove it), just like it was when I moved in. I've given the LL the code to get in and told them they can show people round whenever they want now that I have moved out. There is still a week left of my tenancy there as my tenancy ends on 1 July.

Next step is to send them a letter asking for the return of my deposit and the overpayment of energy bills minus any sensible claims for damages (not that there is any). I will mention that since they did not protect my deposit on time that I could take court action against them for compensation in the hope that they will not see fit to play games at this stage. They are not the sharpest pencils in the box though so fully expect to be engaging the services of some no win no fee outfit in the not too distant future!

Gwhiz

Do not mention this - "minus any sensible claims for damages" - as you are almost giving them license to do so.

sartois

Gwhiz wrote: »

Do not mention this - "minus any sensible claims for damages" - as you are almost giving them license to do so.

Hmmm... a good point... I have gone for simple... just asking them for returning the full deposit within 10 days of the end of the tenancy. Not mentioned anything about the deposit not being protected, will give them a chance to do the right thing before going down that road.

LeighBelle

Very interesting read!

I'm glad you are moving into your new home OP, and can put all this behind you.

You've done very well to assert your rights, and it's a shame a lot of people are cowed out of this. I think if more people challenged these dodgy LLs, the housing situation would improve considerably! There are some good LLs out there, but they seem outnumbered by the bad ones!

Your input might just save someone's sanity, so I'm all for challenging bad practice wherever you find it. I hope you get back your full deposit with minimal hassle. All the best.

Tassotti

LeighBelle wrote: »

Very interesting read!

I'm glad you are moving into your new home OP, and can put all this behind you.

You've done very well to assert your rights, and it's a shame a lot of people are cowed out of this. I think if more people challenged these dodgy LLs, the housing situation would improve considerably! There are some good LLs out there, but they seem outnumbered by the bad ones!

Your input might just save someone's sanity, so I'm all for challenging bad practice wherever you find it. I hope you get back your full deposit with minimal hassle. All the best.

I don't think that is the case at all.

I think the bad LLs are very much a minority. We only tend to hear about the bad ones (that goes for tenants too)

Who on earth would want to read a thread saying 'LL and Tenant both had a professional attitude. Tenancy went smoothly and ended amicably with both parties very happy.'

However, that is how all of mine have gone, except for one or two, and I expect the majority of other LL/Tenant relationships are like this.

Very entertaining thread this one and has passed a nice bit of time on a boring night shift !

sartois

So they have finally come back to me with a response to my request to return the deposit, and they are going to try to keep it all. Out of the £1730 paid they are refunding me £151.39 of it.

Highlights include:

1. Breach of tenancy/Financial Rent loss - £824.17
2. Change of lock: £55.49 (even though I gave them the code)
3. Chip near bath: £144 (don't know about this)
4. Sofa cleaning charge: £50 (cleaned before I left)
5. Cleaning charge: £100 (even though I got it professionally cleaned)
6. Heavy chip to corner entrance where my bike was stored: £150 (possibly my fault not sure)
7. Scratch marks to right hand of basin: £150 (not sure about this).

They did get a professional independent inventory done so a few of them might be genuine. I foolishly didn't get photos taken when I arrived and the initial inventory is vague and just says good condition for everything so not too worried about 3-400 of it.

They have actually included the same nonsense they did before about me discouraging viewings and only allowing 2 viewings per week etc. They claim it's my fault for not allowing them access etc. They claim that I lied about them coming in without my permission even though I have a voicemail of her telling me she is doing it. They are claiming they didn't have access till 1 July even though my cleaner saw them in the place only 10 minutes after I gave them the code on 25th Jun.

I am beyond irritated with this/these people. Anyone know of a no win no fee lawyer who can help me take them to court over the late protection of deposit and lack of prescribed information etc? I presume that the Deposit protection scheme will throw out their nonsense claims etc for the void period and instruct them to return at least that part of the deposit? I also presume that they will not be able to counter claim for anything else in court if it went that far after giving me a detailed list of deficiencies and costs etc.

Pixie5740

You don't need a no win no fee lawyer. It's quite simple to do yourself. I think Top Daddy managed to successfully claim compensation from his ex-landlord through the courts.

Who has decided that you're only getting £151.39 back? Just the LL/LA? If you haven't done so already, log on and claim your full deposit back now. Let it go to arbitration.

RAS

Go to the scheme and claim back all the deposit. They then have to justify every single deduction.

Do your photos show

Chip near bath: £144 (don't know about this)
Heavy chip to corner entrance where my bike was stored: £150 (possibly my fault not sure)
Scratch marks to right hand of basin: £150 (not sure about this).

Do you have receipts for the professional clean?

sartois

Pixie5740 wrote: »

You don't need a no win no fee lawyer. It's quite simple to do yourself. I think Top Daddy managed to successfully claim compensation from his ex-landlord through the courts.

Who has decided that you're only getting £151.39 back? Just the LL/LA? If you haven't done so already, log on and claim your full deposit back now. Let it go to arbitration.

Thank you. It is the LL. They had a proper independent inventory taken on the way out, just not on the way in so I will be arguing against things that are described as 'good'. The main one is obviously the crazy charge for rent after my tenancy had ended.

Who is Top Daddy? Just tried searching but couldn't find him on here. I have a letter before action I have just found from Shelter which I can use to get the ball rolling. I will give MyDeposits a call too I think to start accumulating the evidence as well as submitting a claim for all the deposit back.