Landlord Wants To Make Deductions from Deposit - Taking the Pee?!

MentalMinnie

The LA seems to be quite helpful, I said to him that it looked like she was going to try and claim for the cost of a professional clean, to clean up after her builders and he said she couldnt, it was classed as betterment. It's just trying to prove that we left the house clean, as obviously now it looks like a bomb has dropped on it. The inventory he did when we checked out stated that the house was clean, but I've just realised I didn't sign the agents copy at the end. Should I raise this with them?

MentalMinnie

Ok, so the landlord has decided she wants to make a claim on the deposit. We've agreed to a £30 deduction to clean the bath but she's not coming back to the LA. We left the house on the 27th May. Does she have a time limit to make a claim? She still seems to be trying to claim for a full house clean.

Okydoky25

Have you opened your own claim yet?

MentalMinnie

Okydoky25 wrote: »

Have you opened your own claim yet?

No? Is this something I should be doing? The LA has basically said that we should agree to the bath cleaning deduction or the LL will claim for more. Bit of mild blackmail.

If I make my own claim I may rock the boat and cause more problems.

MentalMinnie

Looking for advice, still haven't got the deposit back, LA isn't returning calls and the LL hasn't decided how much she wants to deduct. Someone has said to claim the money back from the DPA myself? Can I do this? Is there a time limit on how long the LA/LA has to lodge a deduction? I can't find anything on the TDS website

MentalMinnie

Also, we never received confirmation that the deposit had been lodged with the dps, and they can't find a trace of it??!

dancingfairy

Firstly you should go to the shelter website as it has links to all the deposit agencies. Check with all the schemes whether they are holding your deposit. If it is protected with one of them then follow their dispute resolution procedure.
If it is not registered then you will have to take court action (or threaten to take court action to retrieve your deposit).
Note: if the deposit was not protected and the prescribed information given to you within the first 30 days then seperate to suing the landlady you can also sue her for non-protection. The size of the fine the court can award is between 1-3 times the deposit (depending on the severity of the 'crime'). Putting in a claim for a deposit is relatively quick and easy and also fairly cheap. Putting in a claim for the 'fine' for non-protection may (and I stress may, it seems to vary court to court) be allocated to a more expensive part of the legal system so you should check with your local court how it would be dealt with before commencing action so you know what sort of fees you will have to pay.
You may find that merely threatening to take her to court and threatening to sue for non-protection has the desired result of the deposit appearing back in your bank account.
Check the schemes first then post back here for more info on how to launch/threaten a small claims action.
df

MentalMinnie

Ok, I've just been told by my husband that he's had the certificate the whole time, so it has been protected. It's still not clear on how long the landlord has got to lodge a claim.

TBagpuss

As others have said, contact the scheme yourself claiming back the full deposit. Then either the landlord will respond and set out exactly what they are claiming and how they have justified it, or they will not in which case as I understand it you will get the full amount back.
You don't have to wait for her to make a claim.

RAS

Please log into the scheme and claim back your deposit in full as advise previously.

Then the LL has the option of releasing in full or make explicit what they are claiming.