How long is reasonable to get deposit back?

greensalad

How long is reasonable to hear back about a deposit? We ended our tenancy beginning of March and put in a formal request for the return of the deposit as soon as our tenancy ended, direct to the management company, not the LL, as they said it had to go through them in the agreement, and have been patiently waiting for any kind of response.

The deposit is protected with MyDeposits. Their website says:

Your landlord returns all or part of the deposits to you within 10 days of agreeing the amount to be returned. (If you and your landlord cannot agree then we offer a free Alternative Dispute Resolution Service to resolve the dispute).

We asked for an update because we had received no response nor deposit returned. I expect the LL will ask for some deductions, one of which we will agree to (and stated in our initial request that the correct amount could be deducted).

My partner wrote that if we didn't hear back from them by Thursday morning, we would put forward a dispute.

Management agent has replied saying "10 days is just a guideline" and they can only get back to us "when the landlord replies".

So what do we do?

My plan was to write to the LL directly stating that we would like 99% of our deposit back, and that if we don't get a response in 7 days we will go to dispute. And send a copy to the management. But BF thinks we should go straight in for dispute.

HappyMJ

It's 10 days and that's it.

You can now lodge a dispute with MyDeposits asking for it's return in full. You don't need to ask a second time if they have acknowledged your request. You've asked for an update and they have acknowledged they got your request so I would just go straight to a dispute.

greensalad

HappyMJ wrote: »

It's 10 days and that's it.

You can now lodge a dispute with MyDeposits asking for it's return in full. You don't need to ask a second time if they have acknowledged your request. You've asked for an update and they have acknowledged they got your request so I would just go straight to a dispute.

I guess this is the bit that is confusing the issue:

after agreeing the amount to be returned

He hasn't yet agreed anything because we haven't heard a peep. I know he will want to deduct some things, and am already "armed" to dispute. I guess we will just open a dispute up tomorrow morning as we said we would...

HappyMJ

greensalad wrote: »

I guess this is the bit that is confusing the issue:



He hasn't yet agreed anything because we haven't heard a peep. I know he will want to deduct some things, and am already "armed" to dispute. I guess we will just open a dispute up tomorrow morning as we said we would...

You don't need to agree. They have 10 days to return the undisputed part of the deposit. If you disagree with the deductions and the landlord doesn't agree with you after you've discussed the proposed deductions or the landlord is not returning the deposit at all then you can go straight to ADR.

Guest101

Just dispute it and be done with it.

greensalad

OK so whatdayaknow they just got back to me, 1hr after I wrote this post.

They have proposed charges which I think are ridiculous for the most part. Some are agreeable, most are crap. They want to charge £180 for cleaning which I work out as local-rate about 13hrs. I concede the washing machine got forgotten and there was an air filter that got dusty and also forgotten, but that doesn't take 13hrs to clean...

I've written up an email disputing all costs we disagree with and conceding to some. My deduction totals £95 they want £350. Will send to them and if they don't agree, then off to dispute we go. I guess we don't have anything to lose.

Guest101

greensalad wrote: »

OK so whatdayaknow they just got back to me, 1hr after I wrote this post.

They have proposed charges which I think are ridiculous for the most part. Some are agreeable, most are crap. They want to charge £180 for cleaning which I work out as local-rate about 13hrs. I concede the washing machine got forgotten and there was an air filter that got dusty and also forgotten, but that doesn't take 13hrs to clean...

I've written up an email disputing all costs we disagree with and conceding to some. My deduction totals £95 they want £350. Will send to them and if they don't agree, then off to dispute we go. I guess we don't have anything to lose.

Local rate or not £180 is about half a days cleaning for an individual property.


Email? EMAIL?!


Dispute it with mydeposits, now.

greensalad

Guest101 wrote: »

Local rate or not £180 is about half a days cleaning for an individual property.


Email? EMAIL?!


Dispute it with mydeposits, now.

All of the full-day "end of tenancy" cleans round here cost between £120 and £150. I find £180 ridiculous to clean an air filter and a washing machine drawer. They haven't mentioned anything else being unclean (no mention of the "usual" like carpets, mould etc as we did clean the property almost-perfectly, just missed those two things!)

I have sent the email but as you said perhaps I should raise the dispute instead. I just wanted to try and arrange it outside of a dispute, but I expect when they see my proposed cost they'll immediately say no, at which point I'll go to dispute anyway.

Guest101

greensalad wrote: »

All of the full-day "end of tenancy" cleans round here cost between £120 and £150. I find £180 ridiculous to clean an air filter and a washing machine drawer. They haven't mentioned anything else being unclean (no mention of the "usual" like carpets, mould etc as we did clean the property almost-perfectly, just missed those two things!)

I have sent the email but as you said perhaps I should raise the dispute instead. I just wanted to try and arrange it outside of a dispute, but I expect when they see my proposed cost they'll immediately say no, at which point I'll go to dispute anyway.

Right, but what's charged isn't really relevant, the LL can make reasonable deductions. £180 is reasonable to deduct for half days cleaning.


They wont say no, they'll drag it out and out until you are more desperate for the money.


In all future cases: At check out agree the return date. Dispute as soon as that is missed.

greensalad

Guest101 wrote: »

Right, but what's charged isn't really relevant, the LL can make reasonable deductions. £180 is reasonable to deduct for half days cleaning.


They wont say no, they'll drag it out and out until you are more desperate for the money.


In all future cases: At check out agree the return date. Dispute as soon as that is missed.

We're not horribly desperate for the money. The money is owed to my Grandparents who helped us sort out the deposit for our new place. I asked them when it needed to be returned and they said "next year" :eek: However I'm not willing to have that debt over my head so had hoped to pay them back in a few months or so. So essentially I'm happy for this to take a month or two to negotiate.

How is one hood filter and one washing machine drawer half a day's cleaning?

I will make sure in the future to agree a return date. Our new landlord is just as slow to respond I have to chase everything through the letting agent 3 or 4 times before I get a response. For example I scratched a wall when moving furniture in the new place and asked to know what paint was used so I can sort it out. They don't know what paint was used... ugh. And it's taken 3 weeks to get the response "we don't know". I hate dealing with slow LL's

Guest101

greensalad wrote: »

We're not horribly desperate for the money. The money is owed to my Grandparents who helped us sort out the deposit for our new place. I asked them when it needed to be returned and they said "next year" :eek: However I'm not willing to have that debt over my head so had hoped to pay them back in a few months or so. So essentially I'm happy for this to take a month or two to negotiate.

How is one hood filter and one washing machine drawer half a day's cleaning?

You don't understand. The LL doesn't have to have the cleaning done. But he or she can deduct reasonably for the cleaning. Cleaners are booked in half day slots and £180 is reasonable for that. (sure you can point out cheaper options, but it's reasonable)


By all means negotiate away, but often these disputes aren't resolved without ADR involvement.