Having trouble getting deposit back for rented property?

Question

My friend is moving out of rented property as the landlord has sold the property. She has had to find another property to move into, but has now been told that she won't get her deposit back for 2 weeks after she moves out. Obviously she needs her deposit to put down on her new rented property.
Any advice??

Answer 1

Tough one, citizens advice may be able to help. The landlord is being very unreasonable so the only thing I can suggest is to see if she can put down a smaller deposit on the new place and pay the rest when she gets her deposit back. Good luck anyway - I just got shafted out of £140 by the letting agent at my last house. Thankfully the law has changed so tenants deposits are protected more now.

Answer 2

Hi,
In the State of Vermont, the Landlord has 14 days to return the deposit if there is no damage done to the unit that was rented. Sometimes the Landlord will return the deposit sooner if the unit is found to be in satisfactory condition. You may want to schedule an inspection with your Landlord to expedite the return of the deposit. But remember the Landlord does have a given amount of time to return the deposit, so it's really up to them how much of that time they chose to use.

Answer 3

I would suggest explaining this in a letter to the landlord - explaining that the deposit is required earlier than that in order to find another property. Suggest that the landlord and she meet on the date of moving out, or shortly after, to check the premises and arrange for a transfer of the deposit.
The threat to back this up is that if the deposit is not transferred according to the schedule that she will initiate proceedings to recover costs in the small claims court and that the claim will then include any additional accrued costs.
The difficulties with this though are:
a.) The landlord might take the hump, identify small amounts of damage to the flat and with-hold part of the deposit - which will then mean she will have to go through the small claims court to try to recover the amount - which will take a lot longer than 2 weeks.
b.) The landlord agrees to the above, but then drags his feet to transfer the money, or pays by cheque which can take days to clear anyway.

Either way - your friend should try to get the landlord to meet at the property at the point at which she moves out to jointly check the property and sign a document concerning return of the desposit. If not, get a friend to go round the property with her and take photographic evidence of its condition.

Answer 4

I would suggest reading the lease agreement to see if it states anything about the deposit. The landlord does have the right to make sure the property is in good condition before he gives back the deposit and he has to have time to check things out. Two weeks really is not unreasonable but I do understand that the money is important to use for another property. Maybe your friend can look at his/her finances and see if the money can come from somewhere else since it will be replaced in two weeks.

Answer 5

Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done about it. The Landlord's & Tenants Act permits landlords 2 weeks to inspect the premises for damage, then get an estimate as to how much any damage may cost to fix, fix it, pay the contractor and return any remaining balance to the renter ... all of this takes time, so, 2 weeks really isn't unreasonable. I know how your freind feels though ... it's hard to pay a full month's rent and a damage deposit on another home, without recieving the previous damage deposit. :(

Answer 6

You do not indicate where your friend lives, but if in the United States, laws for return of rental deposit vary from state to state. I've seen the time frame anywhere from two weeks to one month.

Your friend is at the mercy of her landlord, and will basically need to plead her case on the need coupled with any generosity the new landlord displays.

Answer 7

Having just gone through this I should let you know that if they wont sign over the rental bond now then they don't care and legally they don't have to care. I tried to do the same thing and the landlord would not transfer my bond and I was stuck borrowing money and am still awaiting the cheque. Good luck to your friend.

Answer 8

ok so as I know it, you prefer to leave on 17 October (final touch dates can flow pearshaped btw). in case you pay your lease for October which will propose a 2-week (unusual) era you may desire to have paid for a assets you're no longer residing in? maximum condominium agreements say tenants might desire to provide a million months be conscious and landlords 2 months. And maximum condominium classes run 1st to the 1st of each and each month? So in case you bang on your be conscious now, wef November a million you would be in the words of your settlement? ie you have given the a million months' be conscious, plus the days to the tip of this month. seems to me your landlord might desire to pay you your deposit on account which you haven't any longer broken the words of your settlement - and actually he might desire to make you a reimbursement for the days you're no longer residing there from October? until October 31? and actually plenty as each and every pound counts, i understand, been there, you will possibly nevertheless want the extra advantageous weeks leeway, in case as I say, you do no longer finished on October 17. Edit - Yoiks, no settlement??!! desire you may come to a pair amicable settlement inclusive of your landlord then. Ta to whoever gave my respond the thumbs down....... ?

Answer 9

Citizens Advice.

Answer 10

the landlord is entitled to do this, but ask him and explain why she needs it and he might be able to help her

otherwise a short-term loan from a friend?