When should the tenants hand back the keys?

HappyMJ

Sarahlou0606 wrote: »

No we don't have the keys - the property was fully managed by the estate agent so they hold the keys.

Go and get them.

littlegreenfrog_2

I once moved out of a rented property about two weeks before the end of the tenancy. My flatmate and I enquired about getting the checkout done early and trying to get our deposit back and the agent just said they wouldn't even enter the property until the end of the tenancy and we wouldn't hear about the deposit until a couple of weeks later. This was a complete pain because we were both moving out of the area. I ended up going back to the flat on the last day of the tenancy just to check everything was still ok and to make sure we wouldn't get charged for any dust which might have gathered (or mould which might have spread, but that's another story...) during the last couple of weeks. To this day I still have no idea why the agents didn't want to get a headstart on getting the next lot of tenants in there. They could have had a seamless transition with no void between our tenancy and the next. They could have got another lot of tenants in there and been collecting two lots of rent simultaneously. (We would have handed back the keys so we would have been none the wiser.) But no, they were sticking to their stupid rules. Could be that your agent is being similarly unhelpful.

I also seem to remember that on that occasion the landlord definitely accessed the property without informing us during the last week of the tenancy, because when I went in there were muddy footprints all over the floor and the electricity had been switched back on. They tried to charge us for the extra part of the electricity bill until the end of the tenancy but we told them to take a running jump because we'd given meter readings to the utilities companies and closed our accounts.

littlegreenfrog_2

Sarahlou0606 wrote: »

But legally the tenants can still have access to the property until Friday so it could be fine on Tuesday and then they could go in and trash the place on Wednesday!

Why on earth would they do that? If the place is not already trashed then they will be hoping to get their deposit back in full.

melstar11

Get the agents to ring and/or email the tenants and leave a message to the effect that you would like to discuss an early surrender with a view to refunding them some rent so you can get into the house before 25th. They might bite if they know there is potentially some money in it for them. Get the check out inspection done on the new agreed date and go from there.

always_sunny

Sarahlou0606 wrote: »

The agent has told us the inventory needs to be done so they can give back the deposit and I am getting more and more worried that they have wrecked the place.

isn't the deposit held by a 3rd party (DPS) and as the LL if you're happy with the condition the inventory is not required unless you want to deduct it as an expense.
Can't you given them 24 notice and do an inspection?

Pixie5740

There's nothing I love more as a tenant than going back in at the very end of the tenancy and smashing everything up and leaving some faecal artwork on the walls.

theartfullodger

Pixie5740 wrote: »

There's nothing I love more as a tenant than going back in at the very end of the tenancy and smashing everything up and leaving some faecal artwork on the walls.

Ah, the Dirty Protests again eh?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_protest

Pixie5740

Less protest more Turner Prize

theartfullodger

Just going through the motions??