I moved out of an apartment recently. Prior to moving in, I signed a lease with a firm of estate agents that were acting on behalf of the landlord. After I moved in, I emailed & called the estate agent several times asking for an inventory of contents of the apt. I wanted to be sure that there would be no discrepancies as to what was or was not in the apt when I left. I received no response to these emails and phone calls. There were old bed linens & cushions in a cupboard that I chose not to use during my tenancy.
I have just found out that I am having the cost of replacing the bed linens & cushions deducted from my deposit. When I contacted the estate agent she contacted the land lord who says that they had to be replaced, and that I am responsible for it. I disputed this. When I asked why I was not furnished with an inventory of contents in the first place, she said it was the landlords choice not to provide one, and that that is his right.
So my question is, can he do this (keep part of my deposit) if he never provided an inventory of contents in the first place, that we both signed saying what was in the apt when I moved into it? Surely he can not, as unscrupulous landlords can then run amok charging tenants for all kinds of crazy stuff that they say is there, but is not.
I am also having the cost of cleaning the wood floors taken from my deposit. I cleaned the apt from head to foot prior to my moving out. On the day I moved out, the estate agent and I did an inspection of the apt. She said that everything was fine. She did not say that the floor was dirty and needed further cleaning, which obviously I would have done to her specifications prior to handing her back the keys, if she had said anything about it. The floors are very pale wood. It doesn't take much to dirty them up, which is why I brought a mop with me to the final inspection but she said nothing at the time. Nor did she do any inspection of the contents of the apt to see what was or was not there. Prior to moving out, I was sent a letter detailing all the things I had to do and things that had to be cleaned prior to my moving out. I did all these to the letter. So what is the point of my doing that, and doing an inspection with the estate agent, if they come up with this kind of crap AFTER the fact?
Any advice on how to proceed, or professional body that I can report this crowd to? I really don't think that they should be allowed to carry on like this, or let their clients (landlords) engage in the kinds of shady behavior that leads to situations like this. The shoddy, unprofessional and un businesslike way that this firm of estate agents treat their clients was one of the things that prompted me not to renew the lease on the apt. Thanks.
I have just found out that I am having the cost of replacing the bed linens & cushions deducted from my deposit. When I contacted the estate agent she contacted the land lord who says that they had to be replaced, and that I am responsible for it. I disputed this. When I asked why I was not furnished with an inventory of contents in the first place, she said it was the landlords choice not to provide one, and that that is his right.
So my question is, can he do this (keep part of my deposit) if he never provided an inventory of contents in the first place, that we both signed saying what was in the apt when I moved into it? Surely he can not, as unscrupulous landlords can then run amok charging tenants for all kinds of crazy stuff that they say is there, but is not.
I am also having the cost of cleaning the wood floors taken from my deposit. I cleaned the apt from head to foot prior to my moving out. On the day I moved out, the estate agent and I did an inspection of the apt. She said that everything was fine. She did not say that the floor was dirty and needed further cleaning, which obviously I would have done to her specifications prior to handing her back the keys, if she had said anything about it. The floors are very pale wood. It doesn't take much to dirty them up, which is why I brought a mop with me to the final inspection but she said nothing at the time. Nor did she do any inspection of the contents of the apt to see what was or was not there. Prior to moving out, I was sent a letter detailing all the things I had to do and things that had to be cleaned prior to my moving out. I did all these to the letter. So what is the point of my doing that, and doing an inspection with the estate agent, if they come up with this kind of crap AFTER the fact?
Any advice on how to proceed, or professional body that I can report this crowd to? I really don't think that they should be allowed to carry on like this, or let their clients (landlords) engage in the kinds of shady behavior that leads to situations like this. The shoddy, unprofessional and un businesslike way that this firm of estate agents treat their clients was one of the things that prompted me not to renew the lease on the apt. Thanks.