Anyway to get my holding deposit back, or did I make a mistake?

Slithery

coffee_prince said:

I have asked to move in start of May. April was planned but with the lockdown I stayed here an month extra.

Why?
Moving house is still allowed...

coffee_prince

Slithery said:

coffee_prince said:

I have asked to move in start of May. April was planned but with the lockdown I stayed here an month extra.

Why?
Moving house is still allowed...

Lots of uncertainty in the market, and I am not the exception. Lots of reduced rents, and also very little action from what I can see. Easier said than done to take the room at the time looking back. I think the landlord wants to pocket my money and wont respond.

onwards&upwards

I don’t think there was any reason not to move in from what you’ve just posted. 

You’d viewed, paid a deposit, planned a date, why don’t you just move in now then this is all sorted. 

Unless you saw this as a possible money saving opportunity and thought you might get a reduced rent by delaying?  But surely not that wouldn’t make any sense. 

coffee_prince

No, not expecting a reduced rent at all. I like many people got scared off by C19. You can ask all the other people who have got cold feet. A lot of empty rooms now for people who have backed out on moving, or have moved back to their families places.

onwards&upwards

Ok so why not just move in now?  

lisyloo

What do you mean by got cold feet exactly? Where is the uncertainty? Your job?
you don’t have to answer but it’s hard for people to be sympathetic or suggest things if they don’t understand and youve not actually said what the issue is.
if it’s pure disinclination then that’s always on you I’m afraid. You paid to reserve and it was reserved for you so you have no right to get it back.
you also don’t have a right to delay at no cost
if you’re income is an issue then that would be a basis for a discussion with the landlord but currently you appear to think the LL should take 100% of the hit and that’s not a reasonable solution,.
i can’t see any circs where it’s reasonable for you to have the deposit back as you got what you paid for (the room reserved).
the landlord has probably stopped responding because your requests are not the basis for a fair and reasonable discussion I.e. the LL takes 100% of the hit for your cold feet.
they could sue you for the rent but they will probably move on.
One risk of hassling them too much is they could decide to come after you for the missing rent.

you actually owe them more than the deposit.

i am not a landlord, but you signed a contract and there are two parties here. Any forebearance has to be reasonable on both sides.