Has anyobe actually ever got their deposit back on a rental?

[malificent7]

I am currently deep cleaning my rental property ...I have been there for 10 years so wear and tear is evident.

I have scrubbed scuff marks off the wall, got a deep cleaner to do barhroom/ kitchen / skirting boards etc. Grout/ tiles are looking good.
There is a tiny blob of slime on dds carpet..i have softened with vinegar and is coming off slowly. I am using rug doctor throughout. there was also some black mould growing behind furniture...have scrubbed it off.
I know I wont get my deposit back but as a matter of pride I want to leave it in a good state.
Has anyone actually had a deposit back and if so...how?

After 10 years, these days, I would expect everything back, your carpets etc. simply won't have any more expected live, so any money would be betterment.

Yes, stayed in my last flat for 10 years. Got my deposit back within 24 hours of handing back the keys & the LA described the flat as immaculate 😊

I’ve had all but one and I’ve lived in a lot of places. The one that wasn’t returned was because my landlord thought I owed him as he’d given me cheap rent. Nothing to do with damage.

I have and my DCs have. We've always left house and flats clean

Yes, I've always had my deposit back.

I pretty much detail clean it as best I can before we leave tho.

Yes but I'm prepared to fight injustice!

Twice I've had attempts to rip me off. Twice I had photos of existing damage on the day I moved in, emailed to the agent, email acknowledged!

Things like scuffs - after 10 years that's reasonable wear & tear. Most people would redecorate before 10

But I can highly recommend the magic sponges for white rental walls!

Yes

I've had 5 lots of tenants leave and all 5 have had their deposit back. 4 deserved it. The other one didn't but I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of claiming for it to be challenged

moved 5 times in 10 years. Got deduced £300 once, but it was actually fair enough. oh, and -£10 from first deposit as I "stole" 2 mugs :) Really thought they were ours...

All other times got back full deposit without any hassle.

I don't think I will get it back as:

Slime stain not quite out.
Shed paint on patio not quite out...been trying with white spirit etc but been raining.
Kitchen cupboard rotten at back due to leak that landlord knew about( but didn't repair).
Mould stains...done my best.
Tbh i got a professional cleaner round today and she told me that it was in great condition for a 10 year lease....
Said cleaner told their landlady about mould and she came round with a dehumidifier...mine would NEVER do that.
But my ll is a tight arse so I know she will keep it.

I've had two occasions of landlord trying to claim whole deposit for general wear and tear.
Back and forth emails both times.
Both times I agreed to a small concession (like 10-20% of total)
Both times it got taken to the official dispute resolution service (can't remember name)
Both times we got all deposit back and were told we shouldn't have conceded anything!

We did on two, and not on one but it wasn't even our fault. It was a newbuild with a lot of issues, the boiler leaked and flooded the kitchen and bathroom, we reported it so many times. They tried to evict us for complaining 😂 But failed to remember that DH is a housing officer and knows all the laws. They kept our deposit when we gave our notice.

You've been there for 10 years, presumably with the same carpet?
10 years is the life expectancy of a carpet anyway, so she would have a hard time charging you for that.

If you can prove you told her about the leak & mould that's a her problem..

Just keep trying to get the paint off the patio, but even that, what could she reasonably keep from the deposit?

I'd fight it if I were you.

10 years, she can't expect it to be immaculate.

I have BUT I haven’t rented anywhere long term (early 20s) and I don’t have children or pets so any wear and tear is minimal

I know this advice might be too late, but the best thing to do is be meticulous with the inventory list (and any defects) when you move in and take a lot of photos. Likewise when you leave too.

I do think some items on your list aren’t your fault and you should dispute that if it comes to it. Save all your correspondence with the landlord re any issues your raised and they refused to fix

It's not up to your Landlord!! That's the whole point of the deposit scheme.

Wear tear is expected after 10 years. Rotten cupboard is not your fault!

You can't be held responsible for mould stains!!

I'm a landlord. I rent out 8 properties. I've been doing it for 25 years. I've kept a deposit twice because tent hadn't been paid. On one occasion I kept £360 because the tenents kids had scribbled over walls, used a Sharpie on a sofa and ripped a part of the carpet up. This was within 6 months of living there.

A have a friend who has never not got her full deposit back.

I also have a friend who works for a letting agent who has never signed off on giving someone the full value of their deposit back.

My dream is to see them go head to head in a weird deposit battle.

I'm a landlord and typically return the deposit back in full. When our tenants moved out two years ago, we returned the deposit to them within a matter of hours. Our latest tenants have moved out and the deposit was returned slightly later than was ideal due to me being in hospital. We could have charged them for a number of things but we decided to let all but one thing go. The only thing we charged for was a door that was snapped in two.

It's a ten year old kitchen (at least), I would think it should be replaced for the new tenants. Ditto carpets, paint etc. Check your deposit is being held properly.

Student ds was told every year they could not have the deposit back. They challenged it every year and always got at least 90% back in the end. They left the places not disgusting but certainly not deep cleaned, and usually with no breakages, but one year they had broken the sofa.
. You have to challenge tho as I think many landlords try it on esp. if you look like you don't know your rights.

I've been the landlord of 2 properties for nearly 20 years. In all that time Ive only once kept a deposit (and even then I was £££ out of pocket because they trashed the place). Apart from that I once deducted £50 towards a missing oil heater - everyone else has had the whole deposit back. I expect to deep clean each property in between tenants (no one ever cleans the oven), I just want it left clean with all personal property removed.

Oh and yes challenge it OP. Your landlord doesnt have a leg to stand on.

My last landlord refused to give ours back, said we hadn't cleaned but the place was damp (which we had told him about) and the mould stains wouldn't come out. He sent me a nasty email and I was scared he'd try and charge me more so I let it go. Stupid probably but I was younger then and more easily intimidated.

For the love of Christ, the CAB didn't lobby tirelessly on this issue, for people to just capitulate. What you've described, Op, would probably mean some deductions, but not all your bloody deposit. Photograph everything. Go to court if they arrive at a manifestly unfair sum.