salsa-king

this might be of help to you.. also if you need a property licence on 6th April 2006.
http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1151892


I don't really under stand the TENANCY DEPOSIT PROTECTION
http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1152035

Over the last 12 months the tenants that have done runners on me or trashed the house/flats I've needed the deposit to cover costs to cover referb etc. I wouldn't want to be waiting to getthat deposit back!!
or have i miss read it?


Phil

Brit_in_Japan

I think your understanding is right Phil. In the event of a dispute, an ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) procedure would need to be followed before the deposit under dispute is either returned to the tenant or the landlord. There's been a shift towards the tenant's rights because the landlord no longer has sole possession of the deposit and is not sole arbiter of whether or what % of the deposit gets returned.

A key question in all this will be how fast these ADR procedures can be carried out. And if thr ADR fails to reach an agreement, going to court is the only way to resolve it. I'd say this is tailor made for boosting sales of landlord legal protection insurance and "deposit return insurance".

philc

sounds similar to what's in place over here - the bond paid to the landlord has to be handed over to the govt's Housing Corporation, with the deposit form signed by landlord and tenant(s) and similarly signed on completion of tenancy by landlord and tenant(s) for refund of the bond.

works okay with the good tenants, but the bad tenants tend to regard it as payment in lieu of final rent and if it's for a flat with changing occupants but same lease, it's a pain trying to get the original signatories (no same signatory, no pay-out).

The idea was to protect the tenant from voracious landlords and use the interest on the deposited bonds to fund a tenancy disputes tribunal.

So long as good records were kept the tribunals were reasonably fair ....

salsa-king

Do i read it right tho that its not compulsery to do it that way?

I wouldn't want to wait three months to get deposit back.

I had a tennent tell me the day before his 6months tennancy ended that he was wanting to know when I wanted the keys back!! He'd not give 1months notice!.. he then asked for 6extra days to move out.. that he said he'd pay for!! I said i'd take it out the deposit (£11 a day)
After that six days.. he said he'd left and left it clean and tidy! also crockey were missing that I've now replaced!!
He didn't leave a forwarding address and i'd ask for one too!!!

Yes he's cleaned!!!! Ran a vac over (1st time in 6months IMO)
Two of us had three hours re cleaning everything to get rid of the stinnky smell and make it look clean.
Walls were so dirty they had top be re painted.. the flat was all newly painted when he moved in (how do ppl live so filty??)
The carpet that was also new had to be carpet cleaned TWICE to make it look anything!!!

I've only in the last TWO weeks had contact from him asking for deposit back!!!
I told him i was dissapointed with the condition of the flat and I'd be adjusting the deposit acordingly.. its worked out at £172.91 off the £430 deposit.


I'm a fare landlord and don't want a third party telling me what to do!!! and me being out of pocket more!!!


Phil

philc

we found taking photos of the property (esp. interior) at the start of tenancy and at end of tenancy quite useful if the bond re-fund was disputed at a tribunal.

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

There are quite a lot of dodgy landlords out there who just withold every bond on some daft pretence ( normal wear and tear of items cant be used to withold the bond ).

Someone I know used to rent a flat from a dodgy bloke, and when they moved out he refused to give them the bond back because of a mark on the carpet ( that was there when they moved in, and was tiny ). She worked for the IR so checked up on his records, he had about 6 flats he rented out, and wasnt declaring any of them. Needless to say it ended up costing him a lot more than the £300 bond he wouldnt give back.

scoobydooooo

from my reading of the web site it only concerns HMO . ie houses of multiple occupancy , it does not affect normal flats !

StickyMicky

i had to pay 1k bond on the place i am in now

salsa-king

a £1k!! how bigs the place.. or what the rent in comparison?

Deep Singh

Calm down everybody! Scoobydoooo is right. It won't affect most landlords inc you Salsa.

salsa-king

Deep Singh
but what about the... TENANCY DEPOSIT PROTECTION?
http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1152035

Deep Singh

Good point Salsa. I'll ask some 'large' scale landlord friends of mine on Monday and then post back

KiwiGTI

Try £3k , I know where I'd rather have my money kept.

salsa-king

does it read to you as not compulsory?

Deep Singh

Thats what it seems to say, but like most legal jargon it could mean anything. Maybe we need to see if there is a letting agent on here that is up to speed. If not, I''l try my letting agent on Monday.