Fccuk me Blackpool illuminations doesn't even cost that much to light up

I suggest you write them a letter if you haven't already

Send them another letter saying that you are willing to be reasonable and make a peace offering. However state if they are not willing to negotiate and mediate between you and the land lord you will issue proceedings with the small claims court.

If nothing happens then issue proceedings. They will probably bail out at that point.

However if they don't and you have a case against them then go the whole way.

Its great fun

I would advise this before they get in first and try and issue you with a bailiff order to collect the money.

I would take them to Court, as you have photographic evidence of the state of the place you left it in!
Do you have any photographs of the state it was in when you moved in?
Surely the onus is on them to prove you have done this damage not just bill you!

Also you can contest reasonable costs not inflated bull!
Sounds like they were going to do this to anybody you just got unlucky

Best of Luck

Shocking, Steve. Keep your cool and get the best, informed, advice that you can.
The extreme nature of the claim suggests to me that your ex-landlord has failed to remain calm and logical. Hopefully his undoing.

Steve, I am more than happy to offer my assistance with this if you want it. It’s what I do for a living.

PM me if you’d prefer.

Will pm the full story this evening if that's OK.

No problem at all.

And 6 months after we moved out we had a letter from a solicitor appointed by the landlords insurer demanding £13k!

Supported by a motley selection of cobbled together invoices, random credit card receipts and screenshot a from websites with prices on...


I was hoping they had given up and gone away....

Sound like you need some proper legal advice before this gets more out of hand. Did Ali manage to help you?

Yes ali gave me a hand in putting together a response to the letting agent and landlord.

I get the feeling we will be up before the beak at some point!

Civil matter, so it will go through the county court system.

Unfortunately you would be well advised to appoint your own qualified legal representation. Insurers will obviously have 13 thousand reasons to fight you.

Have you legal cost cover included in your household insurances?

Steve, I am wary about dipping in and out and advising without knowing all the facts, but the fact they are claiming over 10K is significant, it takes it out of the small claims court territory.

On balance, I suspect it will be better for you to get it back within small claims court, so think about whether there is anything they are arguing that has merit. If so, and paying it takes what they are arguing about below 10K, that may be the best tactic.

NB the issue is claims over 10K the normal rule is that the winning party gets their legal costs. Claims under 10K each side pays their own costs (you also may find small claims a more "amenable" jurisdiction for you to argue your case in).

We've got free legal advice cover through insurance, but only as far as a phone service, rather than covering representation etc.

They advised us to inform them that we do not feel we are liable for the money and explain in detail why.

Why isn't your landlord using the service through the deposit protection scheme?

Have they provided you with photos/video evidence of the damage? (with before/after)

The list of items they have given you looks like new for old and it feels like betterment, rather than fixing. (i.e. if the original wardrobes cost £500 and could be expected to last 5 years and you damage them on the fourth year then you wouldn't be expected to pay for the whole £500).

Dispute everything, stick to your original story regarding the last months deposit, threaten to sue the letting agent for defamation etc etc.

There is an awful lot of betterment going on.

I have also just discovered that the addendum to the check out inventory was raised by the landlord himself sending some pics and a moan in to the letting agent, rather than by the independant inspector...

And it was logged 2 weeks after the checkout!!