Taken to court by ex landlord for decoration etc of property after 10 yr tenancy

[AgnesR]

Hi
Would love any advice or support or pointers towards help
I am so upset because my ex landlord is taking me to court for £7500 for a load of repairs, new carpets, worktops etc, plus loss of rental income after my 10 year tenancy.(Rent was £750!)
I always paid on time, asked very little of them
All the carpets were old and thin when I moved in
There was of course wear and tear after a family lived somewhere for 10 years
but it was totally clean, totally emptied (of course), and we did lots of painting over scuffs. Several people helped and I honestly thought we left it in a (more than) fair state for them to do the necessary work after a 10 year tenancy (to good, polite tenants!)
I am already under so much stress with severely disabled child, my own health issues, finances etc and this is the last straw!
Thank you

Appreciate all the support so much!

So sorry to hear this it sounds horrendous 😞 can you bring this up in court? It sounds really confusing why he would take you to court for a thin carpet etc… I can’t imagine action being taken when you paid your rent for ten years! Hope you have emotional support off family and friends x

I'm with ScribblingPixie on this one. I too was a landlord for many years, and your's is clearly taking the p#ss! There is always wear and tear on a property, no matter how long a tenant has been in it, but quite frankly, if you've left the hone neat and tidy, he doesn't have a leg to stand on! You've paid your rent in a timely manner, there are no arrears, and you've not caused any trouble. Your landlord just seems to want to find a way of coming up with the funds to replace the carpets and redecorate, which is always needed, rather than pay for it out of his own pocket as he should! The court will laugh at him here!! You've got nothing to worry about!

Thank you so much for these comments, it is so reassuring! I really hope the judge is of the same mind as you! I think it will be some wait now. Definitely not a nice way to treat people!

Good luck.

Keep us updated 👍🏻

Hi OP I know this is an old thread, I am in a similar situation hence for the search for your thread. Just wondering if you got anywhere in the end?

@AgnesR how are you? Has it been resolved?

Thank you so much for asking.

I sent off my defence (and counter claim for return of deposit) and have not heard a thing since from court or landlord.

I guess there’s a big back log.

Although this means interest will be accruing I am feeling more confident to face it now, whenever it may be!

Hey there, sorry I missed you, waiting for court date I guess!!

Decoration is personalised to your taste. Only a person like you would want to live like that. It all needs to refresh for a new tennant. Is it possible new tennant may not be long term. Some sort of modernization is also needed. It's sometimes said that tennant needs confidence to ask for modernization while they're living there. Then it's not just all done at end.