Deposit advice - Updated 10.06.08

hjb123

Have you taken photographs on leaving of the condition it was in? Date stamped?

Hope you get it sorted

sexki11en

Bump - The LA will be calling me soon, where do I stand?

Snooze

To be honest it sounds like you're screwed. Welcome to the world of renting with !!!!!! LLs and LAs.

Personally if it were me I'd be following Fred's advice : stay another month in the property without paying the rent and then simply walk away - you don't have to worry about your deposit then as you'd no longer be owed it.

It's a !!!!'s trick I know, but if the LA or LL aren't prepared to play nicely on their part then why the hell should you?

(I'd be half tempted to use a hammer to leave them a lasting reminder of my feelings towards them too... <runs for cover!!>)

Rob

sexki11en

Snooze wrote: »

To be honest it sounds like you're screwed. Welcome to the world of renting with !!!!!! LLs and LAs.

Personally if it were me I'd be following Fred's advice : stay another month in the property without paying the rent and then simply walk away - you don't have to worry about your deposit then as you'd no longer be owed it.

It's a !!!!'s trick I know, but if the LA or LL aren't prepared to play nicely on their part then why the hell should you?

(I'd be half tempted to use a hammer to leave them a lasting reminder of my feelings towards them too... <runs for cover!!>)

Rob

Thanks, love the hammer bit lol. Unfortunately we've moved out now. I just knew this would happen which is why we paid for professional cleaners.

Looks like you guys are going to have another saga to bookmark - i'm not giving up without a fight. Will start by getting the Solicitor to write a letter and see if that has any effect.

I'll keep you all updated!

silvercar

Is it up to the estate agent to take it up with the cleaners or is that our responsibility?

You employed the cleaners, so it is up to you to ensure the quality of their work.

Can the LA really charge us for something we paid for and have a receipt for?

Yes, if the property isn't clean and it says in the contract that you need to leave it clean, then they can charge you. (Subject to correct inventories etc)

You need to decide if your arguement is with the cleaners or with the letting agent.

sexki11en

Ok, want a laugh?

This is the breakdown of what they are charging us for:
House clean - £80
Carpets cleaned - £65 (both plus VAT
Flea treatment - £94 (this was not in the contract, or ever mentioned to us)
Replacing the sofa that the cats scratched (I am not denying this) £674. They say the sofa was brand new 2.5 years ago - this is not stated on the inventory (everything else was new in Aug 05 and stated as so) They say the sofa was £1,349 brand new and because it is 2.5 years old they will 'settle' with half to replace it.

Total they want from us: £954.82

Does anyone else find it strange that our deposit amount is £975?

We paid a professional cleaner £85 and have provided a receipt to the LA. They were saying there was a hair on the cooker(!) fingerprints on the lightswitches dust on the carpet (round the edges) etc.

I have e mailed them a letter which I will paste in a reply below. Any ideas anyone where I can go from here? I'm so annoyed that we did everything right and honest and STILL they want to keep all our money.

sexki11en

Ok guys, below is a copy of the letter I have e mailed to the LA today.

Wednesday 14th May 2008

Re: Property address

Dear Sirs,

I am writing to request a number of documents from yourselves relating to the above property, as advised to me by my Solicitor.

1) An itemised copy of the receipt that was given to you by your cleaners when the property was (supposedly) cleaned before we took up tenancy.

2) A copy of the”check out” inventory that was completed by yourselves on Friday 9th May 2008

3) A copy of the receipt for the sofa which we are told cost £1,349 from Shop name on shop address 2.5 years ago (I would also like to point out this was not noted as new in 2005 on the inventory whereas everything else that was new at this time was) We also need to know the model name or number of the Sofa.

4) A written quote from your cleaners explaining the total cost of cleaning needed at the property currently. I would like a breakdown of why you claim this will cost £170.38 even though we have already paid for the property to be professionally cleaned and have provided you with a receipt that this work was completed.

I would like in writing a full breakdown of the costs you are claiming from us and the reasons why as we intend to pursue this matter further through the courts.
Please make all further contact in writing to myself as advised by my solicitor, either at this e mail address or our forwarding address, which was given to one of your agents on Friday 9th May 2008.

Please either fax this information on (my fax number)or post to our forwarding address within 10 working days of the date of this e mail.

Yours Sincerely
Mr & Mrs Sexkillen (lol)

I also need to add that although they gave us permission for cats at the property, they are now denying all knowledge so they can claim for the flea treatment (there are no fleas by the way, this is purely preventative) which I am digging my heels in about as it was neither in the contract nor mentioned to us until yesterday (we moved out on Tuesday 6th May)

olly300

You need to get the landlord's address and start the process to take court proceedings against the landlord. While the letting agent is responsible for managing the flat it's the landlord who is ultimately responsible for returning your deposit.

If you can't get or don't have the landlord's address then unfortunately you are screwed and chalk it up to experience. Least now you will have learnt not to take on any contract without reading the small print and putting things in writing.

sexki11en

olly300 wrote: »

You need to get the landlord's address and start the process to take court proceedings against the landlord. While the letting agent is responsible for managing the flat it's the landlord who is ultimately responsible for returning your deposit.

If you can't get or don't have the landlord's address then unfortunately you are screwed and chalk it up to experience. Least now you will have learnt not to take on any contract without reading the small print and putting things in writing.

Thank you Olly300. We have the landlords name so aren't completely screwed. Do the LA legally have to give us the address of the LL? As the LL address was on the tennancy as C/O the LA?

sexki11en

Bumpitty bump