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Landlord claiming for deductions exceeding our deposit are untrue

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  • Landlord claiming for deductions exceeding our deposit are untrue

    Hi I hope someone can give me some advice I would greatly appreciate any help or knowledge you may have. I have moved out of a property I rented after just over 4 and a half years. I followed the contract and gave 2 months notice as requested in writing and the landlord text me back saying he accepted and agreed the notice I had given and the final day that we would vacate on. Fast forward to now and we moved out over 3 weeks ago. The landlord has been in contact after 16 days of me vacating the property with a very big list of deductions he is claiming for based on the check out inventory and his own findings. The list has sub sections like missing items, repairs, cleaning, damage and financial loss. I have my own photos of the property and I certainly did not leave the property in this way. On the day the handover was completed and the keys handed back to the landlord. He did not book the check out inspection to be completed until 2 days later and in this time I know he kept returning to the property and doing some sort of remedial work. (I moved into the house next door which has since become a pain in the bum as I can hear all the work he was doing before the check out clerk came to carry out her inspection and report). The landlord is claiming for finical losses of rent and council tax for the next 3 months because he says he cannot get any contractors in till February because of covid.
    I asked how have I breached the agreement to warrant this claim as I followed the correct notice as stipulated in the contract and he replied with this: "Yes, I am happy to expand my explanation. The break clause does not remove all the obligations or responsibilities of the tenants. The break clause states 'claims can be made in respect of breach of any of the terms and conditions of the agreement.' I am entitled to pursue for losses as a result of failure to meet your obligations such as to repair, replace, keep in good and clean state of repair and condition etc (please see your obligations in agreement, check out report and list of my claims/deductions). These breaches result in financial losses to me, loss of rent and council tax (amongst others which I have NOT claimed for), due to an inability to rent the property and achieve the fair market value at end of tenancy. Therefore, by your breaches, I have refused to accept the break, and although I could insist on the agreement and rent obligation continuing to 22nd February 2022 (13 weeks), I have instead claimed a MUCH LOWER amount of 6 weeks, even though this is not enough time, pre-covid, to ready the property to a good and clean state or repair and condition from that outlined in the check out report. I have also NOT claimed for the current higher fair market value of £1750pm but instead claimed using your lower rental valuation of £1350pm. Therefore, I believe the amount claimed is more than fair and reasonable.

    I also have emails from the landlord before I moved in which he states that the previous tenants at the time kept changing the day they was moving out and that "If it is ok with you for me to complete any remaining house repairs/sprucing up/cleaning/painting etc. after you move in" He also sent further emails telling me again: "My tenant contacted me to say he is now hoping to vacate sunday night if all goes well. This will give me a lot less time to do all the work or full cleaning I'd like. For now I'll focus on any immediate issues. So other work I would have to do with your permission during early part of your tenancy and any other issues you find I can also resolve. Ill keep disruption to a minimum. Just wanted to confirm this would be agreeable to you?

    The emails that the landlord is now sending me are very intimidating, demanding and slightly threatening and he has also contacted my guarantor and sent letters to his home address demanding payment via cheque or bank transfer but we have not even worked through the disputes yet. I asked to go through the DPS dispute service but he said he doesnt legally have to so I don't know what to do next. He keeps threatening to go to court but then says he wants to sort this amicably but every time I try to he shoots me down and tells me his lawyer has advised him not to do this or that so I feel like he won't even give me the chance to try to come to agreements on things.

    It is causing so much stress and upset and now family upset because a lot of the claims are untrue and I have proof of photos and videos that I didnt leave the property in the state he is saying. The amount he is claiming for is nearly £6000 and I don't know what to do next, im scared of him and in 14 weeks pregnant too so im trying so hard to stay friendly and I keep offering to mediate and sort this out but I find him so intimidating he won't reason with anything I say. Im sorry this is so long and im hoping someone can help offer some advice on what is right and wrong and what I should do to try to sort this problem as nicely as possible. I was really hoping that the landlord would work with the dps dispute service but he just seems to want to do things over emails and not through proper legal channels and keeps demanding payment from my guarantor and not work the problems with me.
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  • #2
    I assume your deposit was held in the government deposit scheme have you applied for or received the return of the deposit and how much was the deposit?

    You say the landlord has a list of deductions he is claiming. are these deductions from the deposit or something else?

    How much is he demanding from your guarantor?

    Last edited by EnglandPi; 19th December 2021, 01:08:AM.

    Comment


    • #3
      Is there a check in report showing the items he is claiming for? He cannot claim things twice - he cannot say you owe rent and for items damaged. If he raises a claim with the dps then you can refuse to accept it and it is for him to prove the damage (difference in condition between move in and move out). He cannot claim betterment. The key to this is you being able to prove he accepted your notice. If he did I would not worry at all. It is all bluster. Be civil and polite but do not be intimidated into paying anything yet (or agreeing to do so). Thank him for his requests and say that you feel that you need to go to a solicitor to confirm your position so if he can give you a few weeks you will get back to him...

      Comment


      • #4
        Unless something has been deliberately damaged, there will be fair wear and tear.

        A landlord claim for cleaning rarely succeeds and redecoration would be considered required after four and a half years neither of which can be claimed from the tenant.

        Comment


        • #5
          Hi thank you so much for your help so the deposit is being held with the dps and it is for £1350, the claims he is making including financial losses are just under £6000. I have asked to go through the dps dispute service but the landlord says he does not have to agree to use the service and would rather sort this outside otherwise he will take my guarantor to court.

          The check in inventory photos taken are dark and blurry and some of the items are not fully pictured for example he is claiming for all new radiators because he says they’re are marks on the radiators and the paint is wearing away on the top edge but the radiators are fully working and are not bent or drawn all over or anything like that - it’s literally the very edge the paint has come off on the very top of the radiator as it looks like it had been painted and it’s worn away over time and use - not through purposeful damage but in the check in photos the radiator is covered by a curtain that is pulled so I believe the radiator was already like this but you cannot see because the curtain sits over the top of the radiator hiding it. He is claiming for new carpets because it is worn and there are some threads here and there but the carpet does not have holes/marks/burns or anything like that and I have photos that show it looks absolutely fine. The tenants before us were in the property for over 4 years so the carpet is at least 8 years old if not more. He is claiming for a whole new kitchen saying I have damaged kitchen cupboard doors but the only thing mentioned in the check out regarding cupboard doors is that one had dropped a little but is not marked and it still closes. He is also claiming for a whole new garden to be relayed because a corner of the garden has currently gone a bit muddy from all of the rain and where my childrens Wendy house was and I’m more than happy to pay a percentage towards the muddy part of the garden corner but he will not accept and says he wants the whole garden relayed. He is claiming for £600 for cleaning and then a further £100 for carpet cleaning and £100 for someone to jet wash the driveway and patio but I cleaned the property for 3 days and have my own photos.

          I have a text he sent confirming he accepted my notice and agreed that the date I gave would be our last day. He also sent me an email confirming this and asking to arrange a time to meet at the property to hand keys back.

          The landlord keeps saying it has already been 24 days since we vacated the property and he wants his money that his lawyer has told him he is fully entitled too. But he didn’t send the list of damages and cleaning and finical losses through until day 18 and if I don’t reply to his emails of demand he then sends letters and emails to my guarantor demanding payment. He has not provided any receipts or quotes for all this huge list and has just written a list of things with a price next to it. He says he cannot get contractors in to commence work due to covid so I am liable for the rent and council tax because of that.

          He literally will not even try to mediate with me and I’m trying so hard to resolve this amicably and nicely but he just keeps threatening to take my guarantor to court. I have done a request for the return of the deposit through the dps and he has submitted his lists of costs of claims he is making but is now refusing to use the deposit dispute service to sort this out and I’m so frightened what his going to do next. He just keeps sending my guarantor threatening and remains letter for money or he will go to court.

          Comment


          • #6
            Dont worry and dont be bullied the landlord can demand anything he likes but if he goes to court he has little chance of winning.
            He is delusional if he thinks he can claim for new radiators and the rest of his demands sound as ridiculous.

            You should not be offering payment for anything at this stage, if at all.

            Comment


            • #7
              I second the above. You must insist on the dispute resolution through the dps (so you wil probably get all or almost all of your deposit back from what you have said). The LLs demands are ridiculous. He cannot claim a new kitchen for a cupboard door! Carpets etc even if damaged are not charged to the tenant at full new value but a formula is applied relating to their expected life and how long they have left ie you do not play replacement value of an old carpet just a percentage of it even if you are liable to pay anything. It seems your surrender was fully accepted so you should owe nothing for rent. In your position would write (write, not phone or text) politely to this person saying that I had taken legal advice and this is what I am going to do a) use the dps service to resolve the deposit issue and b) pay nothing further as I legally owe nothing. I would tell him that this is my position and the position of my guarantor (assuming they agree). I would also say that he must now cease all contact with me other than in writing as I believe that he is harassing both me and my guarantor in this matter and that any face to face harrassment which occurs in the future will be reported to the Police (and do so if he does harass you in person - letters are another thing and easier to ignore). As above, refuse to be bullied.

              NB as I usually suggest when LL and Tenant issues are raised it is always worth also hopping over to the Landlordzone forum (google it) which is for tenants and LLs and has a lot of legal expertise to help in disputes such as this.

              Comment


              • #8
                Thank you so much for your advice to both of you, I really appreciate you taking the time out of your weekend to reply to my message. Thank you for the idea of the landlord zone forum too, I have popped a post there too. Thank you once again and I hope you have a lovely Christmas

                Comment

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