Moving out of rental house and old inventory - how to get deposit back?

[WellWhyNot]

Hi all,

Looking for some advice please!

Moving out of a shared house (all housemates on same shared rental contract) after I lived here for a year.

The house hasn’t been inspected by the landlord/estate agents for at least 5 years - but we’ve been told we will have an inspection after we leave.

The inventory that the estate agent is using is a really old one (about 5 years old)

Apart from one person who’s still here from 5 years ago, the tenants who lived here 5 years ago have all moved out, and a lot of the items mentioned in the inventory have changed/are not in the house anymore.

We mentioned this to the estate agent, as we thought it was unfair to be asked to match the condition of the house when we move out to the condition on the 5 year old inventory (first of all, because of wear and tear of the house over 5 years, and secondly because a lot of the items in that inventory are not in the house anymore).

Also concerned about how estate agents will view wear and tear (the house was in disrepair when I moved in). We will definitely clean the house before we leave and may get a handyman to do light repairs, but I worry about how the estate agents will judge wear and tear.

What are our options? Do we have any way of getting our deposits back, given the outdated inventory and wear and tear?

Thanks!

Thanks everyone!

An inventory doesn't need to be signed to be valid, you just have to be able to prove it was supplied/received.

If the inventory was 5 years old and you have only been there for a year, as long as there isn't any actual damage (broken windows, cracked sinks etc) and the house is completely spotless. There isn't a lot they can say to you personally.

If they try dispute dispute dispute, they don't have a leg to stand on.

Take photos of it once it has been cleaned.