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Original poster

Tenant's deposit

88 replies

purpleme12 · 16/10/2021 12:40

Letting agent/landlord says they want to keep all my deposit

Not asking for more from me but are saying they have had to pay out a lot more than the deposit.

£430 for cleaning it says. Because it needed a deep clean she said. I did clean the property but did not pay for a professional clean? Can they do this?
Even the end of tenancy quotes have not been that much so I'm confused about the price.

They claim redecorating cost £1200. I thought they couldn't claim for that when I lived there for 5 years?

OP posts:

Myusernameisnotmyusernameno · 16/10/2021 15:29

You not put

MrMrsJones · 16/10/2021 15:36

When I left rented my ll wanted to charge for limescale round the tap and weeds.

I just emailed the deposit scheme requesting my deposit back and it was returned in 10days.

No deductions

Original poster

purpleme12 · 16/10/2021 15:37

@Shadowboy £430 seems like a lot to me. I've not seen a cleaning quote that high for this size property

OP posts:

BertyFlanter · 16/10/2021 15:56

I would have thought without pics from check in (even with a narrative description) the LL is on a very sticky wicket. Pics are check in 101!

chesirecat99 · 16/10/2021 16:00

By shedding, I mean individual loose fibres (threads) and large amounts fluff. The newer the carpet, the more common it is as any loose bits left from the manufacturing process get vacuumed up with time. When it happens to older carpets, it is usually from damage.

Original poster

purpleme12 · 16/10/2021 16:01

@BertyFlanter

I would have thought without pics from check in (even with a narrative description) the LL is on a very sticky wicket. Pics are check in 101!

Oh that's interesting

OP posts:

Original poster

purpleme12 · 16/10/2021 16:02

@chesirecat99

That's what I thought you meant by shedding But that wasn't what I was describing Shedding is something different

OP posts:

chesirecat99 · 16/10/2021 16:42

You said:

I mean threads of the carpet coming up I'm not sure how that can be rectified sticking down?

You mean like this photo? If it is from manufacturing, it tends to happen to new carpets as they quickly get pulled out by vacuuming. With older carpets, it is usually from moth damage, very heavy traffic, vacuum damage or pets clawing. It's not really relevant as they aren't claiming for that, I just thought it might help give you an indication of the age of the carpet.

If you want people to give advice (or suggest what to write in your deposit dispute), you will need to say exactly what the 2 inventories say/show and any relevant terms in your contact eg

Check in: there are some weeds and the lawn needs mowing
Check out: shows photos of a few weeds and a lawn that has been mowed in the past week

It won't be a problem. However, they might have a claim if it says:

Check in: there are some weeds and the lawn needs mowing
Check out: shows photos of flower beds full of weeds and the grass is long enough that it needs strimming before mowing (which can't be done until the grass has recovered from strimming so will require a second visit) and the lawn is full of weeds, moss and bare patches.

Original poster

purpleme12 · 16/10/2021 16:57

There's no photo but it's not from manufacturing
The actual threads came up when I hoovered and I had to work to cut them out of my hoover rotor,it would clog it up

The comments weren't like that about the garden
That's why I'm baffled how they can claim for so much for it.
Sometime suggested they were trying to claim for 2 missing fence panels damaged in the storm (which they were aware of and didn't bother fixing) but obviously that's not stated anywhere that that's what they're claiming for

OP posts:

chesirecat99 · 16/10/2021 17:38

The comments weren't like that about the garden
That's why I'm baffled how they can claim for so much for it.

If you want actual advice on whether they can claim for it, whether the amount is reasonable, what you should write in your dispute claim and what evidence you should provide to strengthen your case, you need to actually give the details of what the inventories say/show.

I don't know why the photo didn't load but here is is again. If threads were coming up when you hoovered, it will either be loose threads from the manufacturing process or poorly knotted threads (both of which usually happen when the carpet is new), otherwise it will be due to damage. It really doesn't matter as they are not claiming for that.

arrangeyourface · 16/10/2021 17:48

As everyone else has said, you need to dispute the deductions if you don’t agree with them. But I have a suspicion you’re not giving the full story.

I was an LL and my tenants moved out without paying the last month’s rent, as well as leaving the flat dirty and with food in the fridge and furniture still in there as well as flytipping all their unwanted tat in the car park.

They claimed they’d left it immaculate and had photos and videos to demonstrate this, but the photos and video were not how the flat was left. I kept all of their deposit because they failed to realise that not paying the last month’s rent automatically meant the adjudicator found in my favour.

Original poster

purpleme12 · 16/10/2021 17:54

That's fine if you don't believe me.
But I wouldn't have bothered posting if this wasn't the case.
We left the house nothing like what you're saying in your post.
And I've never missed a payment in all the time I've been renting

OP posts:

cloudchaos · 16/10/2021 18:06

Sound LLs and letting agents do behave poorly re: deposits. Ours tried to withhold around £1600 from us, and this was after I'd agreed to pay for some quite substantial things, like new carpets etc. I just objected with DPS, submitted evidence and their claims were thrown out. So you just need to follow the DPS process like others have said. They are impartial, and it's really the only method of resolving this if you and your LL disagree.

arrangeyourface · 16/10/2021 18:16

Sorry, I wasn’t trying to suggest that you left your property the same way my tenants left mine. More that there often appears to be a gap between what the LL believes is acceptable and what the outgoing tenant thinks is ‘immaculate’.

A lot of outgoing tenants think that ‘a good clean’ done by themselves will suffice rather than pay for the professional clean that many contracts stipulate then get upset when they get deductions and think it’s unfair because they spent ages cleaning. Many pet owners also don’t realise how much damage their pet can do and are immune to lingering smells.

I suspect you think you left it in good condition but overlooked a few things for whatever reason and now it’s come back to bite you.

I completely agree that some LLs are grasping cunts and some letting agencies are useless but a good proportion of tenants (in my experience) have unrealistic expectations on how they can leave a property and don’t understand (or ignore) what is required of them then feel they’re being done over.

Original poster

purpleme12 · 16/10/2021 18:35

Putting aside the 'pet smell', I think if they'd quoted a more reasonable figure for cleaning I don't think I'd be thinking about questioning it. But £430 for this size property seems far too high to me.
And the garden for example makes no sense either.

But I'll question the things and I guess we'll see.
But I would rather have someone independent look at it

OP posts:

FlowerArranger · 16/10/2021 19:06

A lot of outgoing tenants think that ‘a good clean’ done by themselves will suffice rather than pay for the professional clean that many contracts stipulate

@arrangeyourface I agree that tenants' perceptions of a 'good clean' are almost always less than satisfactory. However, the law changed in 2020 and landlords are no longer allowed to demand professional cleaning. (See my earlier post on this issue.)

I would rather have someone independent look at it

@purpleme12 - the DPS and other deposit schemes are independent! Adjudicating without favouring either party is their government mandated remit.

Original poster

purpleme12 · 16/10/2021 19:33

Yes that's what I mean

OP posts:

FlowerArranger · 16/10/2021 20:03

@purpleme12 - can you ring them first thing on Monday?

This has been dragging on far too long, and the longer you leave it, the more anxious you'll become.

Just do it - I assure you they'll do their best to help you

WombatChocolate · 16/10/2021 20:14

Yes, you need to get on with it. There is a timeframe for challenging a deposit decision. It won’t be a big deal or diff Inuktitut to raise a dispute. Just make sure you’re clear what you’re not happy with. The onus will be on the agent to support their reasoning.

Original poster

purpleme12 · 16/10/2021 20:15

Ok thank you
I know you're right I need to do it as soon as possible don't i

OP posts:

MsSquiz · 16/10/2021 20:22

Which company is your deposit with?

I used to deal with the DPS when I worked for a letting agent.
The landlord/agent will put in an amount (if anything) that they are happy to repay you.
You then either agree to it or dispute it.
If you dispute it, the landlord/agent will need to provide evidence for the amount they are requesting to keep from your deposit (photos, invoices, etc)
The deposit protection company will then act as the middle man between you and the landlord/agent to come to some agreement

arrangeyourface · 16/10/2021 20:23

@FlowerArranger I agree that tenants' perceptions of a 'good clean' are almost always less than satisfactory. However, the law changed in 2020 and landlords are no longer allowed to demand professional cleaning. (See my earlier post on this issue.)

Ah, fair enough, I sold just before that came in so wasn’t aware of it. My bad.

@purpleme12 You think that cost is too high, but as far as I can see, you’re basing that on nothing more than your own feelings. I rented for years and was always a bit shocked at the cost of professional cleans. I think the last one I paid for was about £275 for a 2 bed flat and that was 15 years ago.

As mentioned, the deposit scheme is independent. I rented for years in the 90s and it was pretty much a given that you never got your deposit back.

Original poster

purpleme12 · 16/10/2021 20:30

@arrangeyourface why are you saying it's based on my feelings?
None of the quotes that I have seen have been that high for my size property.
So no I can't see that I'm basing it on feelings.

OP posts:

FlowerArranger · 16/10/2021 20:38

I rented for years in the 90s and it was pretty much a given that you never got your deposit back

I'm a landlord, but I really wish more tenants stood up to these grabbing landlords - or perhaps more often their letting agents! - who treat deposits as just another revenue stream.

In 20 years as a LL I have never not returned the full deposit. I am proactive: I send departing tenants a list of things they need to do in good time, with referencing to the relevant clauses of the tenancy agreement. I do a preliminary inspection 7-10 days before move out and discuss what needs to be done and address any outstanding issues. And, at the end if the day, if the property is okay but not perfect, I let it slide. I accept that I'll probably have to do a fair bit if cleaning before it is ready to be let, but to me at least it's not worth the hassle of a dispute.

However, letting agents have a completely different mindset. Also, if they have to bring in cleaners to bring the property up to scratch, somebody will have to pay for this. Which would be the tenant.

arrangeyourface · 16/10/2021 20:43

Ok whatever. Look, you have clearly decided you don’t agree so just raise it with the deposit company instead of speculating on here about it. If you manage to argue them down then great. Otherwise, hopefully you will get something useful from the experience. Good luck.

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