Landlords, please advise

[happy97]

I moved out of a rental house 3 weeks ago. I still haven't received my deposit back as they're getting quotes to repair the damage I did. Their justification of damage is a chip on a ceramic floor tile in the kitchen, broken freezer drawers, marks where I have put up pictures (but have filled, sanded and painted), Laura Ashley curtains that I have had dry cleaned still have some marks on the bottom where a drink must have spilled and absorbed up into the fabric.

The house was brand new when I moved in 3 years ago. I did a huge amount to the house and garden but I'm being held responsible for so many things. I think the LL wants to get the house back as it was 3 years ago but it's been lived in!

Am I being unreasonable to think that as a landlord you do have to do a degree of upkeep to a property after 3 years? I'm not prepared to pay for the house to be fully repainted, carpets replaced, locks replaced etc!

I'm prepared to be flamed as I know the whole LL/tenant topics are contentious on MN but any advise would be appreciated.

@PeachCupcake my experience too. TBH even with a signed inventory it’s hard enough to claim for damages.

I've gone to PDS adjudication twice, the first time the tenants had not signed the detailed inventory but as I could evidence it had been shared with them, it was deemed accepted and used as evidence.

There were also no check out inventory done together but the pictures I took the following day (evidence of date) were also accepted.

Those clear plastic freezer drawers are really crap and very brittle in a way that other drawers are not - but a replacement drawer is £30-40 depending on make and model

OK. I'm not accusingbyoubif being stupid. I just need more information to be able to best tell you how to tell your landlord to side off. So far they have tried to claim new for old, that is not acceptable.

That you have an inventory is good, ish. It not being signed doesn't matter. There is, usually, a disclaimer saying if you don't sign it it is seemed to be accepted as is.

Now, what was in it? Every room, a description of the decoration, each wall, windows, carpets etc, including comments on condition? That is a proper Inventory.

Basically, if the Inventory doesn't mention a thing then that thing dies not exist. So even with the floor tiles, if they are not described in the Inventory then your landlord cannot prove a loss.

And whilst everyone loves pictures arbitration prefers the written word, the perception of the person at the time of Inventory. So if you only have a lits of contents and some pictures you can argue anything that is not specifically listed.

We rent, have done for years however whilst we do minor repairs ourselves i.e. replacing dripping taps (used qualified plumber), sorted out the garden (not landscape, but planted in the boarders etc).

Although we have been here 12 years and expect to be here for many years to come I would never presume to change light fittings without permission, we have not damaged curtains, not damaged any tiles, never broke a freezer door (our own freezer) and would fully expect to fix the whole wall/room to remove picture hanging marks. We did have the locks changed - through our contents insurance aftera set were lost but we sent through copies and have the same number of keys we were issued with originally.

Nothing you have said OP is something that I feel are things that the LL should suffer the cost as they are not wear and tear, especially after only 3 years - you need to accept responsibility