Deposit refund

Steveslug3

Hi,
I am a first time renter. After a bit of advice please
I found a flat on an online site private landlord. I asked for a view given date and time but the landlord never showed. I was offered another date to view,agreed to do that where then was asked for a deposit of first month's rent of £495.00. which I paid. I was then sent a tenancy agreement all before I viewed. On the day of the second viewing the landlord one again never turned up but offered a tennant to show me around. The following day I declined the flat as it also wasn't as advertised ie newly decorated and new kitchen. I have received half of my deposit back. The landlord only dealt through text and email. I never once spoke to her.
Am I entitled to a full refund and possibly compensation due to 2 missed appointments from the landlord seeing I had a 300 mile round trip both times?
Thanks for any replies
Steve.

hazyjo

Gumtree?


You paid a deposit for a property you'd not seen?!


How did you pay? Did you get a receipt? Any contract re the deposit?


Sounds very scammy to me, but then I'm also not sure if it's a wind-up (sorry, it just sounds 'naive' of you to say the least!). There are loads of similar stories on the internet. You really didn't think twice or seek advice before paying that amount of money - with no contract/terms about its return - then come looking for advice afterwards?


tbh, I'm surprised you got any of the money back.


No compensation due as far as I can see! ("Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.")

Steveslug3

Sadly I was naive. Spare room website.

Paid by online banking. I had a job offer hence trying to move quick. The landlord has an online company llsl.co.uk

G_M

If it's a scam, put it down to experience. You paid a stranger some money, without a receipt, and no written explanation of what the money was for,
without even seeing what you were paying for.......

If it's legit:
* by paying rent you implicitly agreed contractually to rent the property.
* you then breached that contract by not taking up the tenancy and (presumably) refusing to pay further rent
* you cannt claim your travel costs

saajan_12

Steveslug3 wrote: »

Hi,
I am a first time renter. After a bit of advice please
I found a flat on an online site private landlord. I asked for a view given date and time but the landlord never showed. - annoying but there's no recourse for this.
I was offered another date to view,agreed to do that where then was asked for a deposit of first month's rent of £495.00. which I paid. - your choice. A deposit + rent indicates you're agreeing to rent the place, so it's up to you to have satisfied yourself with the place before this. I was then sent a tenancy agreement all before I viewed. On the day of the second viewing the landlord one again never turned up but offered a tenant to show me around. -
nothing wrong with that if the tenants are happy, it can be hard accommodating yours, LL's and current tenants' schedules. The following day I declined the flat as it also wasn't as advertised ie newly decorated and new kitchen. -
The decor is subjective. So you reneged on your acceptance of the property. I have received half of my deposit back. - that's generous. The LL could keep enough money to cover rent until he was able to re rent. The landlord only dealt through text and email. I never once spoke to her.- all fine
Am I entitled to a full refund - Not at all,
you willingly paid rent/deposit, effectively agreeing to rent the place. and possibly compensation due to 2 missed appointments from the landlord seeing I had a 300 mile round trip both times? - Compensation for what?
There was no agreement on the recourse for missed appointments,
these things happen. It's not their fault you live far away.
Thanks for any replies
Steve.

You agreed to rent the property by placing a deposit and rent. What do you think is the point of taking a deposit early if you can get it all back if you change your mind. The timing of the viewings is irrelevant, you could have insisted on only paying after viewing.

The LL can't collect rent for the same period twice, but they can keep money (from the total you paid) to cover rent until the place is relet and keep any holding deposit. There is certainly no compensation due, you chose to make the trips and there was no agreement on the recourse for missed appointments.