AIBU to think the flies are not my fault?

[ChocolateBiscuitCake]

Would like to get opinion on this if possible please, as been delivered a petty list by landlord before we get our deposit back.

I have posted before in legal so won't bore you all with the back story but in essence, we rented rurally (village) and had the property professionally cleaned the day after we moved out. The property was vacant for 3 months (again long story, but we tried to pay upfront for last three months and landlord/agent made a mess of of it) and the day of the inventory (last day of tenancy), I hoovered up a lot of flies.

However, the landlord in this three months was in and out of the property (without permission, needless to say) so saw them.

He wants us to pay for the "fly infestation".

The property was spotless when we left (no food in fridge, bins empty etc).

Surely flies are just part of Summer and country living and live in the fabric of the house (i.e there was nothing for them to feed off in the house!).

Is the Landlord being an arse or am I overlooking something?

(for the avoidance of doubt, we live very cleanly and had a full time, live-in housekeeper…so really annoyed that LL suggesting the flies are our "fault"!).

AIBU?

(ps if we could avoid a bunfight about the housekeeper, I would be grateful please!!)

My neighbour once reported me for sending flies into her home in the summer. The fact she left all windows open and back door open had nothing to do with it.

Yes, I was reported and checked out in case I had a fly army.

Sounds like LL is been an arse if you have found nothing. Sure there wasn't a piece of fruit lodged somewhere?

I'm a LL. Your LL is being an idiot.

Was the deposit in a registered scheme? Have you gone to dispute stage?

Posted too soon. If the inventory/check out was carried out on the last day of the tenancy by an independent body and it was found to be spotless then he can't keep your deposit on those grounds.

Yes, it is in a scheme so I am not worried, as such. But I am having to contest so much that I can't really work out whether I am angry and irrational or whether he has a point!

I think I am just going to send the list to the arbitrator as it is consuming so much time (I have three children under 5 and better things to be doing!).

Thank you for taking the time to read.

If you're rural do you have fields adjoining your property?

We have a field directly behind our (small) garden and have been plagued by flies this year. Nothing we did made any difference so I can sympathise that you've done what you could. But sounds like ll is chancing his arm to get a bit more money out of you.

SP, you and the control you have over your fly army totally scare me! You could actually take over the world! All you need to do is learn to control cockroaches and you would have it all, even in a nuclear war!