Hello, new poster here.
My last tenancy agreement ended on 1st August, and according to clause 7.4 of the agreement, the agent has to tell me within ten working days of the end of the tenancy if they propose to make any deductions from the deposit.
I then received a letter from the agent dated 26th August stating that they would be looking to claim "for some gardening, along with the replacement toilet seat which is noted as damaged on the check out report". The toilet seat was not new when I moved in six years ago, and the damage noted on the check out report was already present. When I asked for confirmation of how much they were claiming, I was fobbed off and told they would be in touch shortly. They finally told me on 11th September that they would be holding on to £205 of the deposit, plus an agent charge of £54 if I contest the claim.
They are claiming the following:
Curtain cleaning, Lounge and Bed (contribution only) - £60
Repair to bathroom door (for a small hole about 1cm in diameter which was there before I moved in) - £30
Replacing toilet seat (which was worn and damaged before I moved in) - £50
General cleaning including limescale - £25
Agent charge - £54
This is well over the ten working days limit for them to inform me of this claim, and it's much more than they're entitled to (who would pay fifty quid for a used toilet seat?). They claim that the ten working day rule is no longer the law, but it's in my tenancy agreement so surely it's to be adhered to?
Any help/advice/comments gratefully received. Thanks in advance.
