Landlord refusing checkout inventory

Coastfodder

Hi every one.


Our section 21 notice expires on the 9th April.


We have checked and the notice has been correctly served. Luckily the council accepted us as homeless and we move into a hostel the same day.


Our landlord has gone through an agent for the last two years. Their takeover report showed things that were our responsibility as very good but noted several things the landlord needed to do. Only one of these things have been done. During that time our rent has been increased but still no repairs.


The lack of repairs has cost us over £1000 in fuel bills. I asked for reimbursement as the repairs hadn't been done and we were served with a section 21. The Landlord said they needed the property for a relative!


We have asked what time the inventory would be done and were told it would be done 2 days later. We said that wasn't acceptable as we wanted same day check out and were told Landlord is refusing a check out inventory and wants to meet us at the property with the agent and look for themselves, then give us the deposit back on Monday minus any points they feel need deducting. We refused this and said we paid for a check in inventory and its the landlords responsibility to pay for the check out inventory. We were told if we insist on an inventory the cost will be taken out of our deposit as we signed a new tenancy with them.
The last email I sent to agent was to agree to their suggestion of a Monday inventory, we would leave 9th April but keep hold of the keys until inventory was done. we are going to pay an extra days rent for the property because we will still have the Keys and we have always gone by the letter of the tenancy.
We are involved with a solicitor who is going over everything to decide if there is a no win no fee case against the Landlord.
Are we right to insist on the inventory? every photo shown in the original inventory show various areas of damage and all of these have been dealt with by us so that property is in a better condition now than when we took it over 8 years ago! apart from the areas that the landlord has promised and failed to get done.


Thankyou in advance.

Guest101

So much of the above is wrong.

Don't keep the keys
Don't pay extra rent

Do take lots of photos
Do dispute the deposit deductions with the scheme

Oh and don't waste your time with the solicitor who clearly knows nothing about tenancy law if he thinks the above is correct

Coastfodder

solicitor is still going through all the evidence so is not responding at present :-/

marksoton

Coastfodder wrote: »

solicitor is still going through all the evidence so is not responding at present :-/

Sack them off.

Any money you get back will soon be eaten up by their fee.

HappyMJ

Coastfodder wrote: »

Hi every one.


Our section 21 notice expires on the 9th April.


We have checked and the notice has been correctly served. Luckily the council accepted us as homeless and we move into a hostel the same day.


Our landlord has gone through an agent for the last two years. Their takeover report showed things that were our responsibility as very good but noted several things the landlord needed to do. Only one of these things have been done. During that time our rent has been increased but still no repairs.


The lack of repairs has cost us over £1000 in fuel bills. I asked for reimbursement as the repairs hadn't been done and we were served with a section 21. The Landlord said they needed the property for a relative!


We have asked what time the inventory would be done and were told it would be done 2 days later. We said that wasn't acceptable as we wanted same day check out and were told Landlord is refusing a check out inventory and wants to meet us at the property with the agent and look for themselves, then give us the deposit back on Monday minus any points they feel need deducting. We refused this and said we paid for a check in inventory and its the landlords responsibility to pay for the check out inventory. We were told if we insist on an inventory the cost will be taken out of our deposit as we signed a new tenancy with them.
The last email I sent to agent was to agree to their suggestion of a Monday inventory, we would leave 9th April but keep hold of the keys until inventory was done. we are going to pay an extra days rent for the property because we will still have the Keys and we have always gone by the letter of the tenancy.
We are involved with a solicitor who is going over everything to decide if there is a no win no fee case against the Landlord.
Are we right to insist on the inventory? every photo shown in the original inventory show various areas of damage and all of these have been dealt with by us so that property is in a better condition now than when we took it over 8 years ago! apart from the areas that the landlord has promised and failed to get done.


Thankyou in advance.

You are very lucky to be considered homeless without the tenancy actually ending. A section 21 notice does not end your tenancy. If you hand in your keys before being forced out by the court you are actually surrendering the tenancy and making yourself intentionally homeless.

You do not have to pay for a inventory at checkout.

You also do not need a solicitor to get your deposit back. It's quite easy to get your deposit back without legal assistance. Is the deposit protected?

You can do your own inventory/checkout. Just write it up yourself and take photos for use in the future in case the landlord claims damage later and you know it wasn't present when you handed the keys back.