legal advice needed please help!my landlord is trying to keep my deposit
 

i am moving out of my rented flat,the keys will be handed over tomorrow,
my landlord seems to think the house was in perfect condition when we moved in 3 years ago, this is not the case he is going to use this to take deductions from my deposit.i have witnesses that can make statements on the condition of the place when i moved in but no photos of the condition,also the landlord has cut corners on maintenance whilst we were living there.

my question is does he have to prove that the place was immaculate before he can take deductions?i cannot afford to lose my deposit as i need to pay rent at my new place in case i cannot find a job over the summer.

thanks mike

we had a similiar prob when we left our rented property, but as we got told when we tried to take it further is that we should have made a point of making our opinions heard to the landlord and negotiated to pay less bond to sort the little probs out with. BUT....we also got told that when you sign the contract and hand over a bond at the end of your tenancy they have the rights to deduct money from it as they see fit for general wear and tear while you have been renting the property.

register and post on this site, they give great advice

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...splay.php?f=16

I'm in the same boat - but I'm lucky that the letting agent carried out a comprehensive survey before I moved in. There's no photographic evidence but every last item of damage to the property had been noted - whether it was a frayed carpet or damage to the wallpaper.

May not help with your current situation but worth taking note for the future.......