Time limit to claim?

[Beachside]

The landlord of a property we moved out of three and a half years ago has just messaged me saying I owe him £130 for some curtains that were missing when we left. Is there a time limit for how long they can take to claim money like this? At the time we vacated, he mentioned the curtains, I had thought they were in a cupboard but he said he couldn't find them there. He didn't say any more about it at the time so I assumed he either found them or had decided to leave it. He didn't give us back our deposit without detailing why, so I also thought he had perhaps included the curtains in that. Part of me feels like just paying it to avoid the hassle of arguing (and because it is possible we lost the curtains, we were in the property 10 years and I don't specifically remember them), but if I pay this, I'm worried he might start saying we owe money for other things too.

[echat11]

Hi Beachside

So it's taken the landlord 3 1/2 years (legal action can be taken within 6 years) to tell you that the curtains are missing. I'm not sure how you left the rental property, whether there was a 'checklist' of the inventory carried out, which is the normal thing to do. The deposit belongs to you 'the tenant', so he should have detailed why he withheld the deposit. For me he's clearly trying it on, he hasn't missed the curtains for the previous 3 1/2 years but has a sudden attachment to the curtains. The fact that you don't know why he has held on to the deposit without saying why, gives you some 'ammunition' to resist his claim.

More advice will follow from members.

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housi...nancy_deposits

[Beachside]

Thank you ECHAT11. I don't think the inventory checklist was done properly, or I wasn't party to it if it was. He also contacted me a year and a half ago about something else to do with the property (so that was two years after we had moved out), and I dealt with that, thinking it would be the last thing, and then now this.

[islandgirl]

I don't think I would even give that the dignity of a response! I would ignore it and not even reply.

[Beachside]

I'm tempted to not reply! But I don't think he'll just leave it.

[echat11]

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housi...r_deposit_back

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/downloads_and_tools/template_letters