We handed the keys over to our old letting agent last Tuesday for the house we vacated on 2nd March. At the weekend I was given a key back because he objected to the 'state' we left it in. Basically I've got to tidy the place up and have chosen to do it with a vat of magnolia paint and some wall filler. I need to give the oven a better clean too.

In some ways I don't begrudge all this as it was a bit grubby after nearly three years but there is such a thing as wear and tear. Three kids have a habit of gently trashing a place as well.

Anyhoo, I was prepared to hold my hands up to the paintwork but he tried to pin things like a dodgy shower curtain rail which was held up with wire but that was like that when we moved in. I let him know with some verbal force that there was no way repairing that and because I'm generally such a mild mannered guy he knew not to push it.

There was a comment about the condition lounge carpet but as there was a 3" square hole in the middle where an off-cut was used to fill the space it hardly seemed relevant. That was also there when we moved in so anyone buying the house would simply replace it anyway.

I could sooo do without this - I have so much work to do and have no home connectivity so I can't even catch up then. It doesn't seem to matter where I am, I'm really needed somewhere else doing something more constructive.

Anyone got a cloning machine?

Was there a deposit originally which was to be returned to you when you left? And did he return it? Some of these swine will nitpick to keep the deposit. When my older son moved flats in Leeds we left the place cleaner than it had been when he moved in - a lot cleaner - but the landlord retained some of the deposit on the grounds there was a dirty mark inside the oven which he'd had to get a cleaner to sort. Grrr!

There was a £275 non-refundable deposit but the letting agent was different from when we moved in because the original guy retired and sold up.

In nearly three years we had only two (supposedly) three monthly check-ups - one by each letting agent - instead of 9 or 10 so that probably didn't help. The first chap knew he was going so obviously wasn't bothered.

Like I say, the agent had a legitimate reason to moan because it wasn't as clean as when we arrived and as he wasn't there when the original infantory was done (neither was I actually, it was the wife) there was always likely to be a few questions.

It's just...annoying...

As I seem to be saying a lot at the moment, things can be really stressful when you're going through the day-to-day but this will all be a simple life anecdote soon. Come mid-April our life could be looking a lot rosier as we have had news we are due two separate payouts for sums into four figures. I have seen evidence that the 'other parties' have agreed to pay up but just haven't been given the offer yet.

Still not counting my chickens but nice to know that it's more likely to happen than not. I can only be better off, not worse and that's all you can ask for.

Quote: Stylee TingTing @ March 12 2012, 5:17 PM GMT

Another chap I knew rented a flat in Pulborough, which had one allotted parking space.. but he didn't own a car, nor did he even know how to drive.

So.. other tenants and their visitors would use "his" space and he didn't mind as he had no use for it. When he left, the landlord hit him with a bill for £1200 for cleaning said parking space. Other tenants' cars had leaked oil whilst using the space on-and-off over a period of two years.

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That REALLY sucks!

Quote: Tuumble @ March 12 2012, 5:10 PM GMT

We handed the keys over to our old letting agent last Tuesday for the house we vacated on 2nd March. At the weekend I was given a key back because he objected to the 'state' we left it in. Basically I've got to tidy the place up and have chosen to do it with a vat of magnolia paint and some wall filler. I need to give the oven a better clean too.

In some ways I don't begrudge all this as it was a bit grubby after nearly three years but there is such a thing as wear and tear. Three kids have a habit of gently trashing a place as well.

Anyhoo, I was prepared to hold my hands up to the paintwork but he tried to pin things like a dodgy shower curtain rail which was held up with wire but that was like that when we moved in. I let him know with some verbal force that there was no way repairing that and because I'm generally such a mild mannered guy he knew not to push it.

There was a comment about the condition lounge carpet but as there was a 3" square hole in the middle where an off-cut was used to fill the space it hardly seemed relevant. That was also there when we moved in so anyone buying the house would simply replace it anyway.

I could sooo do without this - I have so much work to do and have no home connectivity so I can't even catch up then. It doesn't seem to matter where I am, I'm really needed somewhere else doing something more constructive.

Anyone got a cloning machine?

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I've heard it is always best to take a set of photos when you move into a place and get the landlord or agent to sign them as being the state when you moved in.

You probably should have done it on your previous place, be sure to do it on your new place.

A non-refundable deposit is a tautology!

That's a FEE or BRIBE mate.

Quote: billwill @ March 12 2012, 6:00 PM GMT

A non-refundable deposit is a tautology!

That's a FEE or BRIBE mate.

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Ha! It does sound like that doesn't it! To be honest I'm not too worried because the refundable deposit on the new place is the equivalent of 6 weeks rent so it's considerably more but it's a lot higher spec. I will basically only have spent £30 on paint and few DIY bits (most of which I can keep) and by giving the place a lick paint (one coat) and the oven a proper clean I can deflect any other queries back towards the £275.

"So er, what exactly is the £275 being used for?"

To be honest I don't know why he cares because the owner is selling and is in America. How does he know what it looks like and we all know house prices are down.

Ellie is back from Barca and wants to know all the BCG gossip but is so tired she won't be up long... what's happened?

Dabutts shot himself

Not again!!!

Quote: L.E. @ March 12 2012, 10:06 PM GMT

Ellie is back from Barca and wants to know all the BCG gossip but is so tired she won't be up long... what's happened?

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Turns out you're a lesbian.

Watching Jim Nick Nick Davidson on Big Break on Challenge

Seems odd some how.

He hasn't said anything racist yet.

He's surprisingly nice on Big Break. (I watch it every week! Yay for Challenge.)
Well, the occasional Jamaican accent pops up, but nothing sinister.

He is horrible to John Virgo though...

Aw, he loves it.

Yeh they do seem very close.