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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

In thinking some private landlords don't understand wear and tear?

59 replies

digggers · 27/08/2010 21:47

In my last tennancy I rented for 8 years. In that time the landlady didn't once do any renovation to the property. Even when we notified her of things breaking, she said if we weren't bothered neither was she. For instance, the surround coming off the bath and the glass on top if a table breaking. She never painted the house in eight years, never did anything to the garden.

I kept the house and garden to my standards. I am not filthy, but could never be called fastidious. I cleaned the house thoroughly when I left, scrubbed and polished the wooden floors by hand, washed paintwork and windows etc. I tidied the garden twice a year, and kept the grass mowed, but I'm no proffessional, some bushes were unruly. I kinda liked that. I washed the ( White) sofa covers, but they weren't immaculate as they'd had eight years of use. Everything was clean, but it wasn't as it had been eight years previous. Eight years without any maintenance or redecoration.

Am I unreasonable to think she has unrealistic expectations to expect that everything be in perfect condition after having been used for eight years with no maintenance? If she'd been living there herself, then she'd have upkept as she went surely?

The landlord kept all my deposit, saying she needed redecorate and have the garden professionally redone and buy new some furniture.

Am I missing something?

OP posts:
BranchingOut · 29/08/2010 05:02

One thing I found quite helpful was to go around the property during the inital meeting/handover appointment and take digital photographs of all the fixtures, fittngs and any flaws.

tweetymum · 29/08/2010 05:20

Which is why we witheld the last month's rent when we moved. We didn't trust our landlord an inch... he was the worst, and the letting agency were a joke. It took us a year to get a leaking faucet replaced, and we practially had to threaten to not pay the rent one month when the toilet wouldn't flush.

We ended up moving abroad, and there was no way in hell I was leaving any money with him. We notified the state agents that we would be withholding a month's rent... and they harassed us for it, but we basically said we're not paying, so tough. I even remember asking here on MN if it was all right to do it.

OP, you should not let this lie. You've paid your rent for 8 years, why the hell should you be stiffed for this woman's greed? Take her to court please!!

DingALongCow · 29/08/2010 09:04

Our first landlord screwed us like this and we didn't get our deposit back. Next time we took pictures of every room in the house before we moved our stuff in. When we moved out we made sure we got a receipt for carpet cleaning and I went through our contract with a fine toothed comb. Glad we did as I discovered a sheet which said the carpets had been cleaned before we moved in but the curtains hadnt so saved on drycleaning all the curtains in the house, which the landlord had demanded.

The CAB should be able to give you some advice on what to do next, this is totally unfair and wrong.

Firawla · 29/08/2010 14:34

Can you contact the deposits protection people and see if they have any advice? even though you moved in 8 years ago maybe it should have been protected in the mean time? worth checking anyway. If it is supposed to be protected and wasn't, they have to pay you back the whole deposit plus even some kind of compensation i thought? (remember reading something along those lines when we did dispute resolution with our previous landlord).
Does sound like they are trying to rip you off, which they just do because they think they can get away with it. Our previous landlady (was a complete 2 faced bitch anyway) tried to keep almost the whole deposit apparently to redecorate the place (think she just wanted to keep the money tbh as had been made redundant both her and her dh) and made up lies about taps not working, which actually did work and that kind of thing. Dispute resolution people made her give the lot back, they just try it on thinking people won't be bothered to chase them and get back what they are due. So if you are able to take her to court and get your money back, its probably worth it. They think they can just get away with anything but they can not, and should not be allowed to do so

Myleetlepony · 29/08/2010 16:24

Maybe a good idea to read the whole thread before posting.

ccpccp · 29/08/2010 17:30

She refused to give a reference?

I guess your idea of 'wear and tear' is different to hers. She kept your complete deposit, without you really putting up any kind of fight, AND refused to help you find a new place?

Thats not a LL trying it on to keep the deposit. Thats a very angry LL.

tweetymum · 29/08/2010 18:20

Myleetlepony, I don't know if you were referring to me, but I did read the whole thread. I know withholding a months rent is not legal. However, in our case, we were moving abroad, and had no fixed address, plus we didn't trust the landlord to return any of our deposit.

We had the place professionally cleaned and had the estate agent over for a go over before we left. We also left behind several things like a brand new kettle and toaster (the ones that came with the place were giving us electric shocks).

And I also believe that landlords are not able to push for rent unless its not been paid for 3 months? Not sure about that, but we decided to take that risk. We didn't need a reference too, so we could get away with it.

We've been stung by landlords before, and we weren't going to gamble on this one, especially as it was a substantial sum of money.

Which id one of the reasons I am urging OP to take this matter further.

Myleetlepony · 30/08/2010 08:51

Firwala posted about deposit protection etc, those questions have already been answered earlier in the thread. 8 years ago the deposit didn't have to be protected, and no subsequent contracts were issued. Sorry to cause confusion tweetymum, I thought my post followed on clearly from Firwala's.

digggers · 30/08/2010 22:03

Yes she was very angry, said the flat was disgusting and that she'd had to take all the furniture to the tip. Despite the fact I'd scrubbed the whole place, polished the floors by hand etc.

I think pfft the magic dragon has it right. It was her home before she let it out. She was always a complete bitch. Blamed us for having mice (in a 200 year old ground floor property) and refused to pay to get rid of them. Refused to replace the broken boiler. Shouted at us because we hadn't weeded in the street round the corner from the property. Quite mad really.

I couldn't fight her at the time. Was moving out due to a really bad break up, me and partner couldn't live in the same place anymore after 8 years and a broken engagement. Coinciding with bereavement and a breakdown. Was a terrible time. Didn't have the power in me to fight with her.

OP posts:
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