To think getting a rental deposit back shouldn’t be so hard and bewildered as to what to do

Request it through the secure deposit scheme. If they refuse they have to provide evidence why and you can argue your case (normally this would work but I lost my entire deposit last year when the cunt landlord provided a receipt for £1400 gardening done after we moved out)

If your son requests his deposit back from the deposit scheme and the landlord wants to keep money for the stain then the landlord would need to prove

1. that the stain wasn't already there when the tenants moved in (a signed/dated inventory) and
2. that the carpet (without the stain) would have a value.

A carpet in a shared house that is not new would depreciate quickly and have very little value. The landlord would not be entitled to the cost of a new carpet to replace an old one.

I believe a carpet in a rental is considered to depreciate to nothing in 5-10 years and that could be even quicker in a shared student property.

I expect your son will get his deposit back in full or near enough.

yes, you no longer have to try and get the deposit back from a Landlord becasue its not them that has it.
Much better

This is such a frustrating situation that renters have to face. When your son entered into the tenancy agreement and paid the deposit, the landlord should have placed the deposit into one of the three government approved deposit schemes. The landlord / LA then should have given your son the details within 30 days of the tenancy commencing.

Your son doesn’t need to ask the landlord or the letting agent for the deposit back. He just needs to log directly into the deposit protection scheme website and click “I want my full deposit back”. The scheme then deals with the matter.

I have done this every time a tenancy has ended and I have got back all 100% of my deposit every time. I have never asked a landlord or LA for my deposit back - as soon as the tenancy has ended on the same day, I just log straight on to the deposit protection scheme website, clink that the tenancy has ended and I want my full deposit back. The landlord then has to prove to the scheme why they should keep the tenants deposit (the schemes dip on the tenants side). I have had to wait up to 30 days before, but always got the full amount back. Have a check what scheme your sons deposit was kept with x

The deposit should be secured In a deposit protection scheme.

Look at lodging a claim at an all claim court.

It's quite straightforward. He contacts the DPS fills in the form and the money comes back

The deposit protection scheme make it really easy to settle fairly and, if it's not lodged with one, you can claim back more. I had a landlord like that at uni and used it really easily and effectively.

Good advice above - definitely ask which tenancy deposit service it’s lodged with as, if they haven’t, then they’re potentially liable to give you back up to 3x the deposit!

Will university welfare services or similar get involved?

Are deposits now meant to be put in a protection scheme?
I remember being at uni and losing many deposits because the landlord was unfair and the houses an absolute shit show. It was so irritating!

We had this with a LL. we left it to the DPS to look at all the evidence. There were a few things the LL tried to claim and they gave us all our deposit bar some cooker knobs melted when the grill pan caught fire.

Was there an Inventory on move in?
Do you have photo/email/text evidence of telling the LL about the issue?
All deposits are held by a "holding company" and you can use their dispute process to argue why you should get the deposit back. These companies are completelu neutral and DO often come down on the side of The Tenant. You should have been given details of the DPS and the company involved when your DS signed the contract and you can use their portal to request the deposit return and also to refute any of the LL's claims

Look at the deposit protection scheme website for guidance on this. He needs to prove the stain wasn’t there as much as your sone needs to prove it was. The schemes tend to side with the tenants in my experience.

The general state of the property is indicative of a poorly maintained house and it’s highly unlikely that the carpet was new. Carpets in rentals are deemed to be needing to be replaced, I think, every 7 years. So even if they did cause the stain, if it’s an old carpet they will be charged very little. If it’s cheap carpet then it’s even less.

Unfortunately it will take a while for arbitration and the LL is hoping the poor students will agree or give up but don’t. Look at the scheme and follow their advice. I bet they get it back.

Call Shelter for advice. Gather as much paper trail/evidence as you can...and be prepared for a long haul. We had a disputed deposit some years ago and Shelter were extremely helpful but DH spent months back and forth. We did get it all back in the he end though (less a £75 bill from a "cleaning company" which was conveniently run by the landlords wife 🤨🙄)

Are there any emails or paper trails for the damp?

Did the letting agent and your son go through an inventory when he first moved in, he should have been given a copy? If so, the stain should have been noted on there, if it is then they will find it difficult to argue their case. Did they give details of the deposit scheme his deposit was put into?