Quizzes & Puzzles1 min ago
deposit on rented flat
I seem to be having difficulty in getting my deposit back from the agent who rented a flat to me. i have now been waiting over a month for the deposit to be returned. The landlady who owned the flat just got a very basic infantry done on the flat, the firm who did the infantry has inspected the flat and has given the report to the agent whith nothing on the report that i had to pay for. Meanwhile the landlady who owns the flat is saying there are things in the flat that have to be paid for eg, wear and tear etc. The letting agent wont give me my deposit back untill the landlady tells them how much i owe and finally releasesthe money to me. It has now been well over a month and still i seem to be no further in getting what money i am owed.
In my eyes, the infantry has been done and passed with no damage or wear and tear. I feel it is wrong that the land lady can claim any money from me and also surely its not right that the agent can keep this money from me.
If anyone has any advise i would be most grateful
Thanks :-)
Answers
No best answer has yet been selected by Iz66. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.I hope you mean inventory, there would be a lot of wear and tear with all those soldiers running around!
If you are dealing with the letting agents who I assume took your deposit and they have cleared the property then the landlord can't have a second swipe at it. Fair wear and tear cannot be charge for anyway.
Threaten the agent with court action unless they return your money within a specific time, e.g 7 days.
1. If damage has occurred to the property, furnishings or fittings ;
2. If losses have occurred to the furnishings or fittings ; or
3. If the landlord has to clean the property prior to the next letting.
A landlord can NOT withhold any part of a tenant's deposit for reasonable wear and tear which has occurred during the period of the tenancy.
So (for example), if you're a smoker, the landlord can withhold all or part of the deposit if they have to clean nicotine staining off the walls and ceiling (because this comes under 'cleaning'). They can also retain a deposit if they have to repair or replace a carpet due to cigarette burns (because this comes under 'damage'). They can't, however, withhold money just because the carpet is more worn now than it is when you moved in. (This counts as 'wear and tear' and your rent covered this).
If your landlord refuses to refund your deposit insist on a written statement giving the reasons. (It sounds as if the lady in question might actually be likely to use the words 'wear and tear' which will totally undermine her position if you have to go to court). Then mention that you intend to take the matter to the Small Claims Court. If you still don't get your deposit back, ask your local Citizens' Advice Bureau for help with making that claim through the court procedure.
Chris