Deposit Protection Scheme...any experience with disputes?

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Musicman20Musicman20 Frets: 2296
Hi all,

For the first time since I started renting (and this will be my last time as I've finally bought my own home) I have a dispute with the landlord/agency.

I've moved out, the house was 95% perfect, and the move out fees they are trying to take from my deposit are frankly, disgusting.

They propose to give me £56 from £300. That is a low deposit I know. 

Still..they are charging almost £250 for doing nothing. I rented for 4 years, never paid late, never caused a fuss, kept it clean and secure and respected the property.

I've raised a dispute with DPS....we are now arguing over about £180. I've allowed them about £60 to cover basics. 

Has anyone used the DPS for their dispute system before?


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Comments

  • mgawmgaw Frets: 5239
    as a landlord only.....stick to your guns things you need to have/know are

    ingoing and outgoing inventory which will include pics of the interior as a guide to the condition on both the entry and exit from the rental agreement

    wear and tear! reasonable wear and tear is allowed , dont let them fob you off with, the walls needed a touch up etc etc..they should expect to have to do something at their expense after a 4 year let

    DPS will favour the tenant especially if the paper trail s good

    PM me if you want with more specifics 




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  • NiteflyNitefly Frets: 4901
    Before this scheme was invented, my daughter had an ongoing row with a particularly obtuse agent in Glasgow, about a flat she was only in for 6 months. 

    They tried to charge her for leaving too early, even though she gave them 3 potential takers who would have taken over from her immediately.

    They then tried to charge her for taking up references for one of these potential takers.

    In the end she blinded them with spreadsheets, and they gave her all but about £50 back.

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  • I've used them and it worked out fine for me. Moved out of a house and the letting agent were massive twats.

    Tried to charge me £500+ for things like removing some rubbish from a drawer, emptying the bins (bins were outside waiting for the next collection), chips on the door frame, stupid stuff like that. I said I'd happy to sort the bins and rubbish etc but they banned me from the house and said the only contractors they'd allow were ones they chose.

    Funnily enough the bill for all the work they said they needed to do was almost exactly the amount of my deposit.

    Luckily the DPS intervened and they only allowed them to take around £100 for various bits and I had the rest in my bank account a few days later.
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  • MattBansheeMattBanshee Frets: 1498
    An ex-bandmate had serious issues with the DPS, mainly because they will not release any funds to anyone whilst there is a perpetually inexhaustible dispute in place. Their previous landlord wanted to pocket the lot for unproven damages, and every time he failed to provide evidence, they allowed him to reopen a fresh dispute for the same issue.

    It took them three years and three seperate days in court to get a court order to release funds. The DPS literally did nothing except passively sit on the cash until this happened.
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  • Musicman20Musicman20 Frets: 2296
    An ex-bandmate had serious issues with the DPS, mainly because they will not release any funds to anyone whilst there is a perpetually inexhaustible dispute in place. Their previous landlord wanted to pocket the lot for unproven damages, and every time he failed to provide evidence, they allowed him to reopen a fresh dispute for the same issue.

    It took them three years and three seperate days in court to get a court order to release funds. The DPS literally did nothing except passively sit on the cash until this happened.

    I did worry they might be like this! 
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  • DominicDominic Frets: 16004
    Normally the arbitration is swift
    Assume it is ARLA certified
    DPS nearly always lean on the tenant side and are very fair.
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  • thumpingrugthumpingrug Frets: 2890
    I've had a few dealing through work and feedback has been largely favourable.  Even if the tenant hasn't got all of the deposit back they have felt the DPS listened and provided a good explanation for any deductions.  Evidence and a clear paper trail are important.

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  • Musicman20Musicman20 Frets: 2296
    I've had a few dealing through work and feedback has been largely favourable.  Even if the tenant hasn't got all of the deposit back they have felt the DPS listened and provided a good explanation for any deductions.  Evidence and a clear paper trail are important.

    Meant the wisdom not the LOL. 
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  • DefaultMDefaultM Frets: 7271
    Yeah. Deposit was £1000 (paid extra for carpet protection because of the dog) and the agent said £300 to be kept for a full deep clean. I didn't agree with that, but the dog had chewed a bit of the carpet by the door and id already expected to lose £300 due to that so I was just going to go with it. 

    I then got an email saying the landlady had been round and done her own final inspection. 
    Funnily enough she'd found enough things wrong to make the new claim £950, plus she seemed to think id taken her alarm system remote(?!) so there might still be more to add. 

    Some of the stuff they were saying was ridiculous, and some was just lies.
    She said she'd had to pay for someone to come out and do the garden. I DID THAT! My father in law is a landscape gardener so he came and did it all the day before we left. She was literally saying that I left it in a state and that she'd paid someone to tidy it. Complete fantasist.
    They also said they had to pay a company £50 to come out and take away a bed frame I'd left in the back garden. I left it there for 1 day and came back the next day and got it. I even took a picture of the empty garden after I did so, but they wouldn't accept it as it wasn't time stamped. They couldn't provide a receipt because it was a lie. 
    She also put several of the rooms needed a full redecoration.

    I challenged it through the deposit scheme and got it all back, apart from the £300 because I'd already agreed to that. 

    I'm sure that some of them just see the deposit as theirs and they'll say anything to keep it.
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