To be creative with the truth about why we can't give a reference from our old landlord when trying to rent a new flat?

[Nomdujour]

We got on with our old landlord pretty well until we moved out. She signed off the deposit and then several months later tried to get us to give some of the money back as her new tenants were withholding rent over a couple of issues.

We had been prepared to give up some of the deposit, and we were also prepared for a fight as she had always been very tight and we had had endless issues with poor plumbing, poor flooring etc that she tried to fix herself. Before we moved we paid half towards a new kitchen floor as a gesture of goodwill - the guy who did it told us categorically that it was poorly laid with the wrong underlay and cheap tiles but she was convinced we had broken it by dropping pans (!)

Anyway, when she said we could have it back I was very happy as our first dc was due and we were moving back in with relatives to save money.

Several months later, when I was in the midst of newborn hell and pnd she started emailing about the 'appalling' state the flat was in when we left. Actually I agree, it was pretty bad. It hadn't been painted for nearly 6 years since before the tenants before us moved in! And one of the walls was mouldy, as was the kitchen sink. She had obviously forgotten this information as I distinctly remember he trying to sort out the sink herself with some polyfilla. Anyway, I digress.

While I would have been happy to negotiate with her prior to leaving the flat and receiving the deposit back, I was in no mood to do it several months down the line and in the state I was in. My view was that she chose to do a poor inspection and then bugger of on holiday while we moved out, so her loss. Maybe it wasn't a great decision but as I said I was depressed and stressed out of my head and anyway, it was last year. It's done now.

My dilemma is what to say now we want to try and rent again. Do I say we fell out? That we've lost contact?

Sorry for the long post. Writing this reminded me how upsetting I found it all.

Ok well that would count as 'part management' and therefore they could comment/provide a reference on the issue of rent being paid on time but little else.

We found our lovely flat on Gumtree, direct from the landlord. He didn't ask for references. I don't know if that's typical of private landlords though?

Nothing is ever the tenant's fault, and it is always the landlord's fault...

For this reason, as a landlord, I never rent to tenants without a good reference from their current landlord. If no current landlord, I "assess" their reason for renting using my judgement. I actually phone up and check that people haven't used their friends as references, I think former landlord's references are that important.

I give past tenants good references unless they have been extremely vile indeed, as do most landlords I know.

Will your current landlord really not agree to give you a reference at all?

I would try to get a reference from the letting agent in very basic terms. Either that or be completely honest with the new landlord about the situation - tell them that your previous landlord was happy with the situation at the time that you moved out to the extent that your deposit was returned, and that she later had difficulties with new tenants and bizarrely chose to try to come back against you and will therefore not provide a reference.

It's worth a try - most landlords will be aware that there are dodgy landlords out there and that some tenants fall foul of them.