In thinking a house deposit shouldn't take this long to return?

[CuriosityKilledTheCrap]

I moved out of a rented property 3 weeks ago. I had it professionally cleaned, including the carpets. A professional inventory clerk went through everything on check out day. A report was then drafted with weird reasons they could bill me.

The cleaners returned, did the bits that were missed. They want to charge me for cleaning external windows and shrub cutting. Okay...

My beef is that the property is in the process of being sold. It doesn't need to be tennant ready. No vendor has made an offer on the understanding the glass vase stays put

I want it sorted! I moved back home so luckily haven't stumped up another deposit.

It seems much too long to me. AIBU? Can I email the agent tomorrow and request a timescale or something?

[Machadaynu]

I just called them. They said the person I needed to speak to was on lunch. I said I'd hold. She's only just gone, they said. That's ok, I'll hold, I replied.

She came back from lunch a few minutes later, oddly.

Just don't take no for an answer. Don't ask for a timescale, that gives them more time. They've had three weeks. Tell them you want to have it as cleared funds by the end of the week.

[NinaNannar]

i bet there is something going on.

very odd

[CuriosityKilledTheCrap]

But isn't that risking pissing them off further? Did you get your deposit bak in full machadaynu?

[CuriosityKilledTheCrap]

It's the same agents dealing with the sale

What do you think could be going on Nina?

[Cailinsalach]

Dunno what is going on but if I was you I would check who is holding the deposit. It should be held by a third party deposit scheme and there are mighty repercussions for landlords if they have failed to lodge it in an approved scheme. Yup, I would chase this up now.

[hiddenhome]

The Lettings Agent won't be holding the money themselves, a solicitor will be holding the money and it is up to the Lettings Agents to contact them and obtain the deposit. Three weeks is getting on a bit though, so keep chasing it up.

[CuriosityKilledTheCrap]

The deposit was held baby a third party. They have written to me to say its no longer protected....

[CuriosityKilledTheCrap]

Held by a third party

[EuroShaggleton]

It shouldn't have been unregistered from the scheme without your agreement.

[CuriosityKilledTheCrap]

Oh dear.

[OhTheConfusion]

It should still be protected unless you agreed to the change.

[CuriosityKilledTheCrap]

Oh FFS. I don't know what to do now.

[freddiefrog]

Who told you it was no longer protected?

The scheme holding the deposit shouldn't release it to the agent unless everything had been agreed, or a dispute raised and won.

A friend went through this last year. She had a heat crack in pane of double glazing, an engineer confirmed it was a heat crack, therefore landlord's responsibility and a couple of freezer drawers were cracked. When she left the house the LL tried to make her pay for the replacement double glazing and the freezer drawers. Friend agreed to the freezer drawer but not double glazing.

It went to dispute, tenancy deposit people agreed with friend and paid out the cost to replace the freezer drawers to LL and the rest to her.

It shouldn't be up to letting agent or landlord to decide how much she gets.

It sounds like they didn't register it with a proper scheme to me

[freddiefrog]

Ask the agent which scheme it was registered with. It has to be a proper approved scheme.

Try these people www.tds.gb.com/

[CuriosityKilledTheCrap]

The letter says they received instructions from the ll/agents...

[CuriosityKilledTheCrap]

It's with mydeposits

[freddiefrog]

I'd raise a dispute with the resolution service. My friend did it online, looking at their site, you can do it on there

It shouldn't have been paid out without your agreement. You should have been given the chance to dispute it and put your side of the story across

[PlasticLentilWeaver]

www.gov.uk/tenancy-deposit-protection/overview

It can't be released without your agreement that you accept any deductions that have been made. If the agents have messed up, THEY are liable. (This happened the first time I had tenants move out after the deposit scheme was set up. Agents had not correctly registered the deposit, and so all was returned to the tenant who had left my house in shit state. Agents ended up paying for the corrective work.)

[CuriosityKilledTheCrap]

Thing is, they haven't 'confirmed' what they want to 'charge' me yet. Should I wait for that?

Thans for all advice btw.

[freddiefrog]

This is the page on their site that says how it works

www.mydeposits.co.uk/tenants/get-started/register-a-dispute

My friend's case was the same

[freddiefrog]

I'd write to agent asking how much they're withholding and why. If its to replace stuff ask for written quotes.

Give them until the end of the week and if they don't reply, raise a dispute.

[CuriosityKilledTheCrap]

I was just looking at that. Problem is that it isn't protected now so I'd have trouble using them I think?

I'm so fed up. I feel like something has gone very wrong now.

[specialsubject]

you're fine - according to their site, the procedure is unprotect first, then raise any disputes. So raise one.

timescale is 10 working days from end of tenancy.

[CuriosityKilledTheCrap]

Ten working days have passed

[CuriosityKilledTheCrap]

Oh - I can see that I need to wait ten days....