Old Tenancy, New Carpet...

Janets_Daughter

It's not that I'm super confidant , as I don't know what evidence he is fabricating at this moment.

However, I paid to lay new carpet in the bedroom (one bedroom flat), put his carpet back down in the living room, paid for new lino for the kitchen, paid for the entire flat to be painted magnolia, had a gardener come and clear any grass and tree stumps and I spent from 9am until 12:30pm scrubbing the flat.

I took pictures and video of every room and the garden to show how I was leaving it because I knew that he would try to make deductions just for extra money. He has done this to previous tenants, but managed to intimidate then the way he is trying to do with me. I cannot prove that though.

I just think that I fulfilled my end of the deal and he is trying to get more than he really deserves.

FBaby

as I don't know what evidence he is fabricating at this moment.

You can't fabricate evidence, unless he goes to the extreme of fake invoices, but the legal people reviewing cases will most likely pick this up if he went to that extreme.

All what you paid is irrelevant. They will look at each claim for withholding money from your deposit, they will consider your evidence in relation to these claims. They will not be interested in what you've bought during the time as this will be irrelevant.

If he makes a claim for having to clean the garden, but you have an invoice that you've paid someone, then it will come down to him being able to evidence that your gardener didn't do a proper job as required within your contract.

From what you've written, it sounds like he has limited if not no evidence and you have plenty to dispute his claims, so don't worry. Wait to receive the detail of his claim and provide whatever evidence you have to counteract it. Don't bring up anything that is not directly related to his claims.

Janets_Daughter

Thank you and I totally understand that.

I am keeping everything factual and trying not to included anything that's not relevant.

the_quick

Good luck to you !

Just out of interest, you lived there for just few months, why did you have to paint? Did you paint the flat when you moved in to a different colour and had to restore it to magnolia?

Janets_Daughter

Exactly correct. I painted it pale grey (Dulux Polished Pebble, if you're interested!) in July and returned it to Magnolia.

wesleyad

This situation is very similar to what happened to us, in the house for 5 months (between purchases) and left the house immaculate. LL tried to withhold ridiculous sum (£300+) for absolute nonsense (£150 for "scratch" on a 15 year old handrail that was literally covered in scratches (and on checkin inventory as "very dated and scratched!). Agent actually phoned and apologized for behaviour of LL and went on record to the DPS on our side!

I've said this before but I believe in the case of a LL "trying it on" at the end of a tenancy for some extra cash (which was certainly the norm before the protection services, less so now) there needs to be some penalty if they are found out (say double the amount they claim for). As a LL myself it makes me sick and it is fraud.

Janets_Daughter

That's exactly what I think, he's totally trying it on.