Return of deposit

[chubb3g114]

Hello all

My daughter is having trouble getting the deposit back from the flat she rented last year. She rented the flat through an agent and the deposit had to be paid by a bankers draft payable to the agent. She left the flat in October and there are no issues regarding damage or cleaning, she has asked the agents for the return of the deposit but all they say is to contact the landlord for the deposit.
They gave her his mobile phone number and address (she has not had any dealings with him only the agent) his phone is always on voicemail and he never calls back and the letter she sent was sent back undelivered.

My daughter paid the agents the deposit surely it is the agent that has to pay the money back to my daughter.


Chubb3g114

[Paul_f]

You really need to know whether the agent passed it on to the landlord, but your daughter should ahve been told at the beginning of the tenancy who by and where it was to be held. This should be in the tenancy agreement but I'm afraid not all agents know what they are doing!

Write to the agent (or your daughter should) insisting they provide you with detailed information about the deposit within 7 days otherwise you will take action through the SCC for its full recovery without further notice. You can issue one summons jointly against the agent and landlord, so they will soon put their heads together!

Courts look very unkindly on landlords or agents who (unjustifyably) hold on to deposits for such a long time. Luckily the TDSRA will stop all this when it comes into being in October. Tenants always win in such cases.