To keep their deposit!!

[LivFG]

DH and I have a couple of properties we rent out. We have been renting to a young couple who always seemed like good tenants. We gave them notice a couple of months ago as we are going to start renting on AirBnB instead as DH thinks we will get more money (don't get me started).

Anyway, they moved out on Saturday and everything seemed fine. Today I went to get everything cleaned and I found (what I think to be) weed residue next to the sink. I'm Furious. I feel completely violated and uncomfortable being inside the property. I'm sick with worry that they have been using illegal drugs in my home and what the legal ramifications could be!!

Obviously we have their deposit. I was planning to refund it this week. After my discovery today, I now feel incredibly reluctant to make any sort of refund. The idea of supporting/funding their lifestyle makes me very uncomfortable. And they never would have been given permission to abuse my property in this way.

DH seems to think none of this is a problem and seems to completely miss the point - it isn't about cleaning it up - it's about the abuse of our trust.

AIBU?

But it IS you who has broken the law as so many have said. Plus, your law break isn’t just people having a hunch or clutching pearls, you ACTUALLY broke the the law. You’ve admitted it here.

You owe them their deposit back, and it should have been protected by TDS or similar.

If it wasn’t protected within the prescribed time limit then an automatic fine of something like 6 months rent. Do not pass go, do not collect £200. You have to pay it.

And to be honest, you deserve it. You bring all landlords into disrepute.

Yes, you're extremely unreasonable, ridiculous in fact!!

The deposit should have been protected within 30 days of receiving it.
The tenants can now claim back upto 3x the deposit amount they paid and have upto 6 years to claim it .

You found something and you don't know what it is but you want to assume it's something you find offensive so you can be even more greedy and withhold the deposit you held illegally .

Air bnbs are notoriously know for being used as party houses where actual drugs are used
And no sh1ts are given

@LivFG sounds like u need to smoke some of that weed. Seriously relax. Hilarious you think the drug tactical squad are going to swoop in and claim your house as evidence. The only person who gives a shit about a little bit of weed is you. If it’s keeping you up at night you should try diazepam 👌

It’s probably not a reason to keep their deposit, however I find it so annoying when the neighbours smoke / smoke weed by a neighbouring house as makes other houses stink even with windows closed it finds a way. It’s refreshing to hear a landlord/lady find this unacceptable- thank you!

Because weed residue, if any, is contagious?

Hahaha people WILL use drugs at your air bnb. Trust someone who used to live next to one of these hell holes because of people like you.

I shouldn't get so annoyed because this can't possibly be real.

Noodles1234- I agree the smell IS annoying but the OP doesn't actually know thats what was going on and is making an assumption based on "something" sticky in the kitchen!
What I, and the law, find unacceptable is that this LL didn't follow the law and protect the tenant's deposit, or it would.appear have all the legal.documents required - gas safety certificate, electric certificate etc.
100% law breakers here and thats the LLs

You have acted illegally by not registering their deposit in the scheme and possibly side stepping other necessary regulations as a landlord. There is no such thing as renting out your property informally unfortunately. They can still take you to court for not registering the deposit even though you gave it back. This isn't an "attack" on you. These are just the facts. You said you didn't like their illegal activity while seemingly unaware of your own legal duties as a landlord.

😅😅I think her writing style pairs quite nicely with the DM. Picture sad face in marigolds with the offending weed residue in the background spouting right wing bs about stealing their deposit.

All the pensioners with their triple lock would lap it up

This thread has been eye opening to me. I have recently inherited a property that I was thinking about renting out as an Air BnB in the future....don't think I will now. My friend who hosts says it's easy as often it's just people needing a bed for meetings the next day in a new town. Having serious second thoughts. I couldn't bear some of the things described here.

Typical landlord behaviour thinking you have a right to steal peoples hard earned money. I hope your tenants take you to the cleaners for not putting their money in a protection scheme. Disgusting behaviour.

It’s none of your business. I hard to tell you but this is pretty common and you will find a lot of your air b guests will be doing all sorts of illegal stuff. Not all, but they do attract people looking to party 🎉

You are a bit OTT . They we’re renting so there home . Up to them what they do in it
as long as it was Clean and nothing broken give them there deposit back . It might not even have been theirs

You are the reason landlords have this blanket reputation as being awful humans. I’ve had tenants for about 12-13 years now, only one of whom has messed me about by doing a runner owing two months’ rent. Every other tenant has treated the flat really well - because it’s their home. It’s their duty to not trash it, but at the end of the tenancy it’s your duty to get it properly cleaned to a professional level, check for any repairs/decoration that need doing, and only then is it ready to rent out again. The idea that you give it a quick hoover and wipe down the worktops and think that’s sufficient is disgusting. And the idea that on the mere suspicion of there being ‘weed residue’ (whatever the hell that means), you’d withold their deposit illegally (a deposit you didn’t retain within the usual legal guidelines anyway) is grasping and criminal. Sell the flat and stop giving private landlords an even worse name. You’re a terrible landlord.

If your house was left empty, clean and with no damage, no bad smells, and rent paid up to date, if the tenants left when you asked.... seriously, what is your issue. You don't get to pass judgement on people. So many weed users on here as well, saying what the heck is weed residue! Plus it's not just a recreational drug- it's used for pain relief for some chronic illnesses. Are you judging them also? I genuinely hope your old tenants see this and if they weren't already going to, sue you for not protecting the deposit. These are the only legal ramifications you face. The fact that there are so many pages of comments and 99% of voters say you are being unreasonable should give you a clue. I hope to god I never rent a property from you.

Ugh sorry but you sound horrible. Chucking a couple out to make more on Airbnb then looking for reasons to keep their deposit. And not properly protecting the deposit as you were legally obliged to do through the deposit protection scheme. It has nothing to do with you if they were smoking weed get a grip. Yuck all round.

You sound annoyed that we don't all agree with you. But this forum is about finding out if you're unreasonable. We all think you're unreasonable.
It seems your opinion on drug-taking is substantially stronger than most people's. Large numbers of people have occasionally taken restricted drugs. I wonder if you would feel as violated if someone had been avoiding tax while living in your property, or someone who borrowed your car parked on double yellow lines, or if someone used your superglue in a Just Stop Oil protest.
Owning property does not give us the right to police its occupants. That's what the police do. Unless they damage the property or cause a nuisance to the neighbours, it's none of your business.
And, on top of all that, you are talking about being 'violated' when you don't even know they did anything at all. You are being violated by your own imagination.

If that's upsetting you then wait until you get air bnb guests.

You have actually ventured out into the world at some point, right?

You are being ridiculous, you need to give them their deposit money. Seems like you're looking for any excuse not too, it must be nice feeling secure with the income from 2 properties rolling in. You should be giving the house a really good clean anyway !

This is what gets me about it - she keeps emphasising how awful it is that her property was used for 'illegal activity' whilst totally ignoring the fact that she has broken the law by renting it out informally and not using deposit protection scheme. So some illegal stuff is ok, others isn't?! And comparing renting a home to live in to booking a seat on a plane 🤦🏻‍♀️ no wonder landlords get a bad reputation.

YABVU already for kicking two good tenants out to do Air BnB instead,and now you want to keep their deposit! You sound like a barrel of laughs. As a landlord, what you are suggesting is illegal, give them their money and stop being so judgemental.

This is absolutely hilarious, surely a wind up? 😂

Phone the police, they’ll laugh!!

the pontificating about how outrageous it was for people normalising illegality, whilst utterly ignoring her and her husbands admin oversight illegality is some of the best hypocrisy I’ve seen on MN.