Best way for tenant to recover deposit ?

[odecar]

Ok maybe it belongs on the Tenants forum but the experts are here.

A couple we are friends with were renting a room in a small flat. They then arranged to move into a house where the owner (who lives there) was renting out rooms, apparently he also rents out the garage for accommodation and is using the attic as well. Most of the tenants are immigrants who stay because they haven't anywhere else at whatever price he charges.

Friends were made lots of promises etc in moving in i.e double bed etc etc.

They had paid deposit and rent in advance of course.

After 3 days there and realising landlord had no intention of keeping any of his commitments based on speaking with other tenants and the state of the place they informed landlord they were moving out immediately. No agreement had ever been signed.

Husband outside when door was shut and heard his wife screaming in arguement with landlord and he broke window in door to gain access. Landlord was threatening them so they called police but after an hour with no police they called again and cancelled the callout. They moved out and he got arrested and hit with an £80 fixed penalty for criminal damage. Ok he accepted this simply because at 3 am with a frantic wife he felt getting out of police station was the best thing.

Friend has already reported place to council who will investigate but has lost deposit and rent they had paid.

At the moment the only advice I can give him regarding the lost rent and deposit is to go after scummy landlord in Small Claims court.

Any help / advice will be appreciated as Landlords like this hurt all of us.

Wish they had called me earlier as could maybe have helped earlier but because we got 2 little ones they felt calling at night would disturb us.

[Melboy]

Ok maybe it belongs on the Tenants forum but the experts are here.

A couple we are friends with were renting a room in a small flat. They then arranged to move into a house where the owner (who lives there) was renting out rooms, apparently he also rents out the garage for accommodation and is using the attic as well. Most of the tenants are immigrants who stay because they haven't anywhere else at whatever price he charges.

Friends were made lots of promises etc in moving in i.e double bed etc etc.

They had paid deposit and rent in advance of course.

After 3 days there and realising landlord had no intention of keeping any of his commitments based on speaking with other tenants and the state of the place they informed landlord they were moving out immediately. No agreement had ever been signed.

Husband outside when door was shut and heard his wife screaming in arguement with landlord and he broke window in door to gain access. Landlord was threatening them so they called police but after an hour with no police they called again and cancelled the callout. They moved out and he got arrested and hit with an £80 fixed penalty for criminal damage. Ok he accepted this simply because at 3 am with a frantic wife he felt getting out of police station was the best thing.

Friend has already reported place to council who will investigate but has lost deposit and rent they had paid.

At the moment the only advice I can give him regarding the lost rent and deposit is to go after scummy landlord in Small Claims court.

Any help / advice will be appreciated as Landlords like this hurt all of us.

Wish they had called me earlier as could maybe have helped earlier but because we got 2 little ones they felt calling at night would disturb us.

Well, the correct course of action is to pursue through the small claims court if after talking/letter to Scummy Landlord that he has no intention of returning the money/deposit.

Follow that up with the Council Housing Officer and Citizens Advice Office. Make sure that Scum Landlords like this don't get away with this sort of action. The Rental Market doesn't need them!

Mel.