Boomed & Doomed - suing the old landlord

[northernladuk]

No, nor me. I too have a few houses. What I do know, is that if you don't have pictures, they, the courts, are going to assume that the house was in tip top condition, and use that as a baseline.; be careful, as the landlord, if a bad one, may chase you on 'everything' that is not in tip top condition.

I charge a monthly rent, and if the tenant leaves early, I keep the rent.

I actively go after tenants for damages over and above their deposit.

Indeed. My biggest grievance is them leaving their debts at my property. I know it doesn't affect credit ratings but it isn't nice having collection agencies turning up at the door. I do my very best to make sure that whoever they owe money to has as much information as possible and peridoically update them if I find anything else. Normally a pointless exercise but one day, just one day, it will catch up with some of them.

[Spacecadet]

if you don't have pictures, they, the courts, are going to assume that the house was in tip top condition,

Having been in a similar position before when I was a student, we took pictures after the event, infact it was several months after we moved out. We asked the new tenants if we could pop in to take some pictures as we were having problems with the landlord and getting our deposit back.

Courts had a look at the pictures and agreed that the place must have been a dump for years and the landlord was trying it on.
Got the deposit back minus the cleaning charges (which we didn't dispute)

[speling bee]

Is your deposit protected in the TDS? Do you have the reference number?

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I would assume that moving dates never line up with rental periods?!

Correct, somebody has brains in here at least....

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Nope, I let my agent deal with it all and they ring me once in a blue moon, I say what I want and let them deal with it. Why the **** would I want to read up when I pay someone else to do it all for me.

EDIT : And I would argue a vast majority of tenants don't either which suits us landlords down to the ground.

So you think it is ok to rob somebody of their money because you are a business? Being in business does not mean you are not allowed to be ethical and fair.

Also, you may be an expert on somethings but pretending to know about something you have no idea about just makes you look foolish. Hth

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Is your deposit protected in the TDS? Do you have the reference number?

Read my post, deposit is protected, it's the extra rent that is an issue. It ain't even about the money, its just about giving the arrogant **** a piece of his own medicine.

[SueEllen]

No, nor me. I too have a few houses. What I do know, is that if you don't have pictures, they, the courts, are going to assume that the house was in tip top condition, and use that as a baseline.;

No they don't particularly if you don't have a signed and dated inventory.

Mind you the 2 landlords I threaten with court action including the one I started court action against send me my money before it got that far.

In my statements I made it very clear there was no agreed inventory.

Through personally in the 2 places I did cause minor damage I ensured the landlord knew quite quickly long before I moved out so the damage was sorted out there and then. The first one charged but the second one didn't bother as he said it would cost him about £10 to fix and he was doing work on the house anyway.

[SueEllen]

Read my post, deposit is protected, it's the extra rent that is an issue. It ain't even about the money, its just about giving the arrogant **** a piece of his own medicine.

The landlord has a legal right to keep the extra rent.

The property is rented out for a period and if you leave earlier than that full period it's tough luck.

You are always better to negiogiate and pay partial rent then give them the full amount up front. However you need to guestimate the dates.

Oh and moneysavingexpert have a forum with landlords and tenants on it. Some of the landlords are also tenants.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

The landlord has a legal right to keep the extra rent.

The property is rented out for a period and if you leave earlier than that full period it's tough luck.

You are always better to negiogiate and pay partial rent then give them the full amount up front. However you need to guestimate the dates.

Oh and moneysavingexpert have a forum with landlords and tenants on it. Some of the landlords are also tenants.

Totally agree with you - however, I have it writing that the new tenants moved in the next day and that they would return me the overpaid rent - until they decided to go anal.

[speling bee]

Read my post, deposit is protected, it's the extra rent that is an issue. It ain't even about the money, its just about giving the arrogant **** a piece of his own medicine.

'Read my post?' Was going to post something helpful.