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?

You sound like the sort of landlord that gives other landlords a bad name. It’s a bit of weed ffs (if that is what it is). You cannot be held responsible for what they might have done in your property and you cannot withhold the deposit for it. It is not your place to police their lifestyle nor is it your money. It is theirs. Tbh you sound really uptight. Maybe a joint would mellow you a bit

1. You’re not a “good landlord” - you haven’t put their deposit into the scheme. You’ve also forced them to leave so you can try to make a bit more money doing AirBnb. People like you is what causes huge issues with property availability and the economic issues with the housing market. Why do you think you’re above following the legislation? I hope they take you to court and get three times their deposit back.

1. Even it was “weed residue” (not a thing) you’d have smelt it first anyway so very unlikely they were smoking it in their home. Not that the police would do anything about it unless they’ve got a cannabis farm there. Would love to hear their reaction if you called them, expect they’d charge you for wasting police time. Do not call them - they have actual crimes to investigate.

1. Why would you need to bleach and sanitise the entire property?! Get a grip. I’d say do the usual clean you’d normally do but given that’s wiping surfaces and hoovering please do better than that.

1. You and your husband sound like awful people.

Have you looked at the new fire regs yet? You will be breaking the law if they are not in place by the time you have guests on Air BnB.

You can't threaten to prosecute anyone for anything to do with drugs. You could only report to the police.

You have in fact been part of an illegal activity yourself as you didn't protect the deposit. What you did was not lawful.

I'm not a fan of any drugs at all... But this is going a bit far. As people have said... Your lucky this hasn't gone much more pear shaped with no legal ramifications for you for a start re the deposit and 'informal arrangements'
If it is weed, then you also don't know why they were using it? Pain relief?
And I'm not sure why you think the whole place is needing sterilised?? Unless there's a smell needing aired out (which you would of noticed the second you opened the door and you've not mentioned) then it just needs a normal clean.

Who made you judge and jury?? How do you know they don’t have a medical card to use the weed? It’s landlords like you who give others a bad name, picking and choosing who deserves their deposit back just because they’re possibly doing something you disapprove of.

BUT YOU HAVE BROKE THE LAW. 🤣🤣

You are bat shit! Keeping the deposit and not putting it in scheme is illegal, reporting them to the police for what might not be (and probably isn't) weed would be very unreasonable.

Please advertise your B&B on here so people know to never book it!

But they've had 101 things to do this year! That's a perfect defence isn't it?

I'm disgusted. At you, not them. They've been funding YOUR lifestyle and their reward is you evict them to make even more money. People like you are a huge reason why we have a housing crisis. And just greedy. Awful people.

You are the problem with the rental market. Vile couple all round. What the heck does ‘weed residue’ look like?? Returning their money is not a favour, it’s a legal requirement unless they have caused damage in excess of the deposit amount. You’ve made good tenants homeless so you can earn more on air bnb while we are in the middle of a housing crisis. Good luck with that, hope you get the air BnB renters you so clearly deserve.

Disgusted to hear that you and your husband own several spare houses and rent them out, and have never bothered finding out what your legal obligations are as landlords.
Glad that other posters have already educated you about the legal requirement to put tenants' deposits into a recognised deposit protection scheme. I sincerely hope that your former and current tenants see this thread and recognise you from what you've written and take you to court for compensation - as it's a relatively simple process and they will be awarded THREE TIMES the amount of the deposit purely because of your inability to follow the law.

I think you and your husband should seriously reconsider your future as landlords at all - you don't seem to have the knowledge and skills required to let properties to tenants. I can guarantee that signing up to AirB&B will mean a whole new world of pain for someone who is so outraged about finding something that might be weed, and believes this will require a whole new level of 'sterilising' the house.

Oh and keeping a deposit...not putting it in deposit protection, that's illegal. It's not them breaking the law.

good luck with your airbnb cleaning if this has you in a tizzy!!

Absolutely dying at the fact you believe merely smoking weed would have anyone imprisoned, the police won’t even come out for known drug dealing the majority of the time nevermind a young couple enjoying a spliff in their own home I get your worry somewhat but your lack of using deposit scheme is much more likely to have repercussions than them so I’d try and get over the worry and move onto the obvious dh problems going on here! I’d be giving deposit back and praying they didn’t know they could claim compensation as they have a good few years to realise and do so if they wish

You have no legal grounds to withhold the deposit, in addtion it has unlawfully been held outside of a recognised scheme; you have already erred in law. There is no such thing as renting on an informal basis; it is not a legal term.

To move over to Airbnb from a residential let in many areas of the UK, you require change of use consent from the local planning authority. It does, after all take away someoine's home. It is important that you notify them and adhere to their comments before going forward.

You also need to take heed of The Deregulation Act 2015; this restricts use of residential premises for holdiay lets to less than 90 nights in a calendar year; commonly known as the “90 night rule”.

Not to mention they could be getting it legally via the sapphire clinic and any future tenant or Airbnb guest eligible for the same has every right as far as I know to consume it whether you like it or not as it’s considered prescription medication. Would actually make more sense this way as it’s given in bud form To be used with a dry herb vapouriser usually, hence the sticky substance with ground bud as my mil uses it, wouldn’t be so quick to assume they’re acting illegally in this day and age, especially when certain mh diagnoses are even eligible

How do you know they used it in the house. Please get off your high horse. You are not funding their lifestyle. They have been paying YOU rent.
You also didn't put their deposit into a scheme which is illegal.

Yeah it's actually disgusting to claim that you have been funding someone's lifestyle when the truth is that they have been funding yours.

Oh weed can also be prescribed medically these days.
It's a real thing and not illegal. Imagine owning a few rental properties and not putting deposit in a scheme.

I am also a landlord. I would never dream of acting like this. I don't like weed or drugs in general either. But I know people who have been prescribed it for medical reasons. Via the NHS.

So yeah. Get a grip. Educate yourself.

I think you have gone 0 -100 year in 2 seconds. You said you found what might be residue so you don't know for certain and now your worried the place is going to get raided! This is very unlikely. As others said you should have a full feep clean between tenancies anyway so nothing lost at all.
I don't think your going to like doing Air bnb at all if your the resident cleaner.

Wise up!

You have admitted to illegal activities- not registering the deposit.

your tenants may have had weed in the house.

why do you think it is them who have acted improperly?? You committed financial abuse, they might have had a joint.

do you normally cry into your cornflakes over such non-issues? You need help!

I'd love to be your tenant OP.

Easiest few grand I'd ever make taking you to court for not protecting my deposit 🤣🤣

Wtaf? You want to keep someone’s deposit because they like the odd weed cigarette? You know what, that is none of your damn business and what they do in their personal time is up to them. People like you should be taken to court. It’s theft. Hope your air BnB business fails - you deserve it. Horrible person.

You seem insane. You don’t get to dictate someone’s lifestyle because you rent them a property. You don’t get to visit moral infraction penalties on your tenants because they (maybe) did something you disagree with. You are simply renting a home. If you suspect illegal activity is happening on your premises then there are processes for dealing with that - good luck though trying to report ‘suspected weed residue’ to an overburdened police force. Fwiw I highly doubt anyone was smoking weed in your property as the smell of it would linger and is very specific and identifiable.

I rent a property on air B and B and let me tell you if your knickers are in this much of a twist over some residue that is maybe from drugs, good luck with renting your home to dozens of strangers who will not show it any respect at all, and who are expecting a professional service.