Comments on: Day 21 – What should you do when your lodger leaves?

By: Tessa

Tessa — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:31:55 +0000

@Christine What a horrible thing to do. You can deduct the cost of a new cat from the deposit but you are not really entitled to deduct a sum for ‘distress’.

By: Tessa

Tessa — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:04:20 +0000

@Bob – I wrote here about dealing with possessions left behind: http://www.lodgerlandlord.co.uk/2010/08/19/dealing-with-lodgers-possessions-that-they-leave-behind/

By: Tessa

Tessa — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:56:02 +0000

@Bob If you can’t check property then you should not agree to return the deposit. There must be some way you can get the money to her in France. Offer to credit her pay pal account or her bank account.

By: Christine Joyce

Christine Joyce — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:54:30 +0000

This is a brilliant site,thank you. I have had lodgers for a number of years and now have the one from hell. I gave her notice, and she has refused to leave. She also left my front door open and my old cat escaped and has not been seen since, this I get the impression was a deliberate act as she denies she was aware thar I had informed her not to do this. I was initially relaxed about her leave date and gave her 5 weeks to go,she has said that she will not leave till the first agreed date. We have had quite a heated discussion on her leaving within 28 days and she thinks she has tenants rights which I informed her that she actually has ery few as a lodger. Also I am inclined not to return her deposit due to the loss if my pet, and the distress it has caused me. Am I able to do this?

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:04:33 +0000

Part 2 Also worried that she will leave items for me to have to deal with – mirror, plants etc – my main worry is the her sofa as I don’t have a van.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:49:06 +0000

Hi.I have a lodger moving out on a Sunday and there is £500 deposit. Normally I forward a cheque within 14 days to their forwarding address but she is moving back to France on Sunday and closing her UK account the Friday before.
She says she can’t cash an English Cheque in France. So I offered to get her French bank details and wire it to her in France.
She isn’t happy about this and wants the money paid on Sunday in Cash.
I’m not happy about this in case she has used the phone to France and I can’t check until afterwards or that items go missing, usually its something small/ accidentally taken like cutlery, waste bin or towels etc. When I’m doing a room check – I can sign off the room but I can’t check the whole house and the phone bils on that day.

By: Diane

Diane — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:52:10 +0000

Thank you for your advice Tessa. If I threaten her, I’ll have to go through with it and I can’t afford to do that. Im just fed up of people taking advantage of my good nature! Ive seen 3 other lodgers there, none of them cleaned before they left, nor gave her any notice. Yet I do everything right and get treated like this. She still hasn’t sorted the plumbing out! Thanks again.

By: Tessa

Tessa — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 06:43:34 +0000

@Diane If your landlord refuses to return your deposit, the only thing you can do to force her to pay is to bring a court claim for the money.

If you write to her threatening court action she may pay you to avoid this.

By: Diane

Diane — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:23:13 +0000

Hello Tessa,
Please can you help me? I have just moved out (last Thursday) of lodgings I have been in for 3 years. A few days prior to leaving, I cleaned all my food cupboards, fridge and freezer shelves, bathroom and my room. I left everything spotless. I have asked Olivia, my landlady, for my deposit of £100. She won’t give it back, saying that there are stains on the carpet which will need professional cleaning and mould on the wall, a small amount in one corner. It is actually damp. I didn’t know it was there until I moved my desk and the stains were there when I moved in. For the last year, I have been sharing my bathroom with Olivia and 2 other lodgers, but still paid the same rent. Also none of them ever cleaned it! I had to share as their showers started leaking at the same time. She said she would give me some money back, but she never did. I didnt check the room with her when I left. I had a feeling I wouldn’t get it back as she can be quite volatile. Is there any way I can get my deposit back please?

By: Tessa

Tessa — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:20:27 +0000

@Stu You need to take a look at your lodger agreement and see what it says about the things you are entitled to make deductions for. Generally this does not include compensation for the lodger being rude to you! A deposit is normally to cover you for the cost of repairs and replacement of damaged items.

From what you say I am inclined to think that you probably are not entitled to retain the deposit.