can the LL keep all my deposit?

[stephen]

hello,
my girlfriend and i left our rented accomodation just after christmas. our LL informed us she would check the flat and work out out any deductions from the deposit. After a month of what seemed like stalling, we have been told she will be keeping all the deposit (1300 pounds) and requires a further 200 to repair damages to the flat. we have been given a list now, after almost 2 months. we disagree with almost everything on the list and none of it can be proved either way but the LL has apparently done all the work. Is this right that? were we not allowed to see the "damage"?

i would appreciate any help with this matter as 1300 pounds, to us is a hell of alot of money. i have no idea what to do, she will not discuss the matter and insists everything is done via post.

i dont know if this makes a difference but we shared the flat with another couple. it was not rented as or adapted to be an HMO, is it possible all bets are off and we get our cash? :o

Thank you in advance

Stephen

[Jennifer_M]

First of all did you have an inventory that you signed when you moved into the property ?

If not she can't keep your deposit as she can't prove anything was different from when you moved in.

[stephen]

Hi Jennifer,
thank you for the reply. yes we did sign an inventory. the "damage" are things like dirty carpets, holes in walls, fingerprints, dirty oven, dirty windows, walls generally marked, water damage.......

all things that i cant prove were ok when i left. myself, my girlfriend and her mother all scrubbed the place. it was clean and tidy.

the LL is also claiming we should pay water damage because the washing machine was opened and flooded the flat below. it is impossible to open the machine when it has water in it. in actual fact it was not plumbed in correctly

[P.Pilcher]

May I suggest you have a good search of the old forum as this problem has cropped up many times and Paul F. amongst other board experts have given comprehensive, authoritative replies to this one.