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Issue with letting agent

5 replies

gregssausageroll · 31/07/2011 21:07

When we lived abroad we left our property in the hands of an agent. Several things have gone wrong but nothing too bad. Current tenant lost his job and asked to be relased from this lease early. We said yes. Got keys back from him direct as we are now back in UK and ok to deal with ourselves.

Inspected the property. The guy told me immediately he doesn't expect to get his deposit back as carpet is badly damaged with fag burns and dog damage, blinds have been riped down and either thrown out or left hanging. The bathroom door has a hole in it and there are fag burns on the lino in the kitchen. The blinds are the vertical cream things and were in the livingroom, bedroom and kitchen/

When this tenant moved in the agent was instructed to take an additional £100 for additional damage/carpet cleaning after dog - only the agent never took it. This is a long line of direct instructions the agent didn't follow. The carpet was brand new in June 2009 for this guy moving in.

So deposit won't cover the damage/cleaning needed to property. Even if they had taken the extra £100 it won't cover it but it will certainly help. Agent is disagreeing with it completely and have said they didn't take the additional funds but my e-mail to them at the time is clear that they should.

They have photographs (from this afternoon) of damage done to the property. Can I pursue them for this additional £100? Total without £100 is £360 but with additional deposit was to be £460.

OP posts:
nocake · 31/07/2011 22:00

If you instructed them to take an additional £100 deposit and you can prove it then you could go to the small claims court.

plupervert · 01/08/2011 14:38

Ouch. What lazy agents. Definitely go after them for it!

LemonDifficult · 01/08/2011 15:17

Small Claims Court and a letter to trading standards. In fact, trading standards are great so maybe go to them first and see if they can rattle the agent.

LIZS · 01/08/2011 15:22

Could you not pursue the tenant for full cost of damage or use ll's insurance ?

gregssausageroll · 01/08/2011 18:23

I am not using LL insurance as it just whacks my policy up next year plus it the costings came through today. To replace everything would cost £570 so if I pursue the agent for £100 then we only have to find £100 and inruance also has an excess.

Will see what trading standards say. Thank you.

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