Inexperienced landlord!! I need help!!!

[Babs30]

Hi was wondering if you more experienced than me people could advise?
I have been renting out my property for a few years now with not too much hassle, but the tenant has just moved out and left a bit of a mess?? I'm sure it's not as bad as it cud have been but I'm still not happy! Rooms have been started in one colour and finished in another not matching at all ?? Carpets all marked ( ie not wear and tear big blackcurrent juice stain/cream carpet) not clean at all whole house is really dirty!! Can I take money from the bond for these things??? I'm just inexperienced really and not sure of what I can and can't do?? Which leads me to another problem? When I got the bond from the tenant I wasn't aware of the deposit scheme thing?? However I just put the bond in a bank account that I opened just to keep the bond in and have not touched it the whole time? So it's just sitting there?? How do I go about all of this? And to top it off there wase expecting my old tenant to leave it exactly as it was (as stated in the agreement) so that someone else could just move in? I have a new tenant going in in 3 days time arghhhhhh!!

Please help me

[mind the gap]

Hi was wondering if you more experienced than me people could advise?
I have been renting out my property for a few years now with not too much hassle, but the tenant has just moved out and left a bit of a mess?? I'm sure it's not as bad as it cud have been but I'm still not happy! Rooms have been started in one colour and finished in another not matching at all ?? Carpets all marked ( ie not wear and tear big blackcurrent juice stain/cream carpet) not clean at all whole house is really dirty!! Can I take money from the bond for these things??? I'm just inexperienced really and not sure of what I can and can't do?? Which leads me to another problem? When I got the bond from the tenant I wasn't aware of the deposit scheme thing?? However I just put the bond in a bank account that I opened just to keep the bond in and have not touched it the whole time? So it's just sitting there?? How do I go about all of this? And to top it off there wase expecting my old tenant to leave it exactly as it was (as stated in the agreement) so that someone else could just move in? I have a new tenant going in in 3 days time arghhhhhh!!

Please help me

I am assuming this is an AST and that it began, or has been renewed, after 6 April 2007?

If so, then your tenant's deposit should have been protected in a scheme. You need to return it immediately (i.e. today or first thing tomorrow) without deducting anything. Otherwise your tenant may discover that he can sue your for its full return plus 3x the deposit, which is the penalty for non-compliance with deposit protection legislation.