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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Landlord wants to take £300 from our deposit

147 replies

Beatrice11 · 25/03/2020 07:38

Hi everyone, just wanted to ask what’s everybody’s opinion.
Long story short, we moved out of the previous accomodation and want to get our deposit back. Landlord has been a bit difficult throughout the tenancy, but now he’s saying that he wants to take £300 from the deposit, the reasons are: we moved out one day later then we supposed to, because our son wasn’t well. We cleared the garage a week later. Now he is saying that it is £100 for being one day late with moving out and £200 for keeping our stuff in the garage for one more week. The rent we were paying was £1275/per month. The cost of renting out a garage in that area is £100/ month top- and starts from £50/ month.
We have been asking him to return the deposit for the last 3 weeks. Last week he texted us to come to his house and he will pay cash- he then didn’t open the door. Next day I’ve sent an email saying that we will take further steps- he replied that he didn’t open the door as he had a suspicious of COVID 19! He knew that we were coming ( we texted him a couple of hours before) and he didn’t warn us that he was feeling ill!
He refused to make an inventory check when we were moving out; we left the house in a much better condition then it was when we were moving in.
I think if he asked for £100 althogether, it would be fair, but not £300! He is saying that it is favourable to us!
We are now considering taking this to the deposit insurance scheme he used to protect the deposit.
Also, he is refusing to make a bank transfer, he want’s to give us cash- my understanding is that the current goverment statement urges everyone to stay at home emplies that we should not go to his house- any idea on that matter and where I could report him?
Sorry for a long post, but I am just getting sick of him.

OP posts:

underneaththeash · 25/03/2020 07:43

Are you sure he's actually registered it with the DPS?

All sounds a bit fishy to me. I would just tell the landlord that you're going through them. I suspect you'll get your bank transfer pretty quickly.

Jammydodger1981 · 25/03/2020 07:43

Just go to the scheme, he sounds dodgy and you’re right, people should be using cash as little as possible.

CoronaLime · 25/03/2020 07:44

Go to the scheme- it doesn't sound like he has registered it at all otherwise he wouldn't have it- they would.

ShootEmUpSarsaparilla · 25/03/2020 07:45

Don’t bother engaging with him anymore. Go straight to the DPS. I wouldn’t mind betting that he wasn’t registered in the first place which means he’s in a great deal of trouble.

heartsonacake · 25/03/2020 07:47

Yeah, just stop messing around with him. Go straight to DPS and let them sort it out.

BigBairyHollocks · 25/03/2020 07:49

Well renting the house out for another 8 days which is effectively what you did would cost you £335, so on that front I thinks he’s reasonable enough. Not answering the door and insisting on paying cash less so.He has 28 days to return the deposit from end of tenancy,I would remind him of that and then after you could report.

Mmsnet101 · 25/03/2020 07:49

This is why the scheme was setup but doesn't sound like your cash is there at all. If it was, he wouldn't be paying you cash.

ThatsWotSheSaid · 25/03/2020 07:50

Advise him you will be going to DPS by Friday. I suspect you’ll get your money.

Original poster

Beatrice11 · 25/03/2020 07:51

I’ve checked and he has registered the deposit

OP posts:

m00rfarm · 25/03/2020 07:52

If you don’t have a reference then It’s not registered. The deposit is only released when all parties agree. I would report him for not registering it. Or tell him you are going to contact dps and ask him why you’ve not been provided with reference number.

converseandjeans · 25/03/2020 07:52

But you had stuff there for a whole week - so he's just charged you a weeks rent for still being in the property. I think he is being reasonable.

Flower1309 · 25/03/2020 07:52

Do you still have a copy of the contract you signed? It should say in your contact that your deposit is held in a scheme. The only time we've been deducted money from a deposit was for a cleaning charge. Usually £30 to £50 which seems fair. Definitely report it, he's trying his luck.

m00rfarm · 25/03/2020 07:53

Cross posted. I. That case why is he giving you cash? Have you agreed with the dps about the situation?

Original poster

Beatrice11 · 25/03/2020 07:53

Also, I have told him that I will take further steps and his reply was that he was shocked to have received this kind of an email lol!

OP posts:

LolaSmiles · 25/03/2020 07:53

Hos actions surrounding returning the deposit seem unreasonable to me so it's worth going to the scheme.

However moving out of a property is just that, moving out. It's not moving out late and then leaving your stuff in the garage for a week.

Surely to be a day late most of your furniture and stuff would have been in the new property, unless you left your move to the very last day of your contract so hadn't packed up.

FamilyOfAliens · 25/03/2020 07:53

So get in touch with them and take their advice. You may find he is entitled to the £300 if he was unable to rent it out again for another 8 days but go through the right channels rather than through him.

SarahMused · 25/03/2020 07:53

Did he register your deposit with one of the schemes? You should have the paperwork if he did. If you haven’t just ask him for the details because you want to register a dispute and see what he says. If he didn’t register it he is liable for a penalty of up to 3x the deposit amount and you go through the small claims court. If he has, make him an offer that you think is reasonable for the extra time you were in the house and garage. The amount will depend on circumstances. For example if he had another tenant waiting to move in and had to put them up in a hotel £100 for a day and could provide receipts that might be considered reasonable. If not divide the monthly rent by 30 and offer that plus a token amount for the use of the garage for a week. If he doesn’t accept go through the deposit resolution scheme. I’ve done it a couple of times and they were fair.

Wer2Next · 25/03/2020 07:54

DPS should be sending you an email saying of the cash being deposited at the start. All disputes will go through them and will settled by them.

He clearly has not put the money in, in the first place.

BurningTheToast · 25/03/2020 07:55

Go to the deposit protection scheme. He should be making any requests for deductions via them in any case as far as I'm aware (I'm a landlord in Scotland so it might be slightly different here). Call them today.

Original poster

Beatrice11 · 25/03/2020 07:55

The house was empty, it was the garage that the stuff was in

OP posts:

ItsAHardKn0ckLife1 · 25/03/2020 07:56

@converseandjeans I agree.

Flower1309 · 25/03/2020 07:56

Sorry cross post. He can charge for you leaving things In the garage over a week. £300 does seem a lot but over £1200 a month for rent is a lot, so maybe it works out. I would be concerned about him avoiding you. That still seems odd. Is he just asking for 100 now ?

STAYTHEFUCKHOME · 25/03/2020 07:56

As above - you essentially had the property for an additional week, so £300 is about on par.

BanginChoons · 25/03/2020 07:59

Sorry but I would be expecting to have to pay another months rent if I moved out late. I think £300 Is generous.

Mammyofasuperbaby · 25/03/2020 07:59

Since you only stayed 1 day longer and used the garage (which is a top up for a week longer) I'd only be asking for £67.50 which is 1/30th of the house rent plus 25% of the garage rent. Basically exactly what you owe for using them longer

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