Previous Previous Owner (Landlord) delaying returning deposit, Inventory, any due rent

[CH1]

I purchased a tenanted property at the start of this month and have been asking the previous owners for an Inventory for the last 5 months during the Sale and again after I completed.

It took the vendor i.e now ex landlord of that property (who also happens to be the Letting Agent that used to manage the property and also happens to be the estate agent who advertised the property) 9 days just to let me have the keys! They seem to be the most unreliable lettings agents -as confirmed by the tenants too and they claim to manage 300 properties???!

When I collected the keys from them I asked about the above was told it'd be sent to me, however no signs of it. I also asked if the tenants had paid any rent to them they were unaware and said no. However, it appears 2 of the tenants have paid rent to them instead of me.

I've contacted them in writing about 4 days ago requesting the same -no response at all.

I've contacted my solicitor and told him if I don't get anywhere will ask him to send a reminder.

What are my choices?

The current tenants (students) are leaving in just over a month - I need their deposits and Inventory.

[Trenners]

Hi CH1,

In my opinion, this is a matter for your solicitor to take up with the ex-landlords solicitor. A formal letter should hopefully sort it out .....

Best Wishes

Mark

[Simon Dewsberry]

All of this info and documentation "should" have been included in the the legal procedings .....

I learnt the same way some years ago when they weren't included .......it can be a complete nightmare ....

The Rodent

[CH1]

Thanks Mark and rodent.

I had always asked for this from the onset of the sale but the documentation never arrived and then more other issues of getting registered charges removed from the property took priority and by then my mortgage offer was running out well it'd expired so the lender just gave me hours to either complete or abort I opted for the former and am still waiting for the paperwork........

my solicitor has sent a letter off to their solicitors no news yet. I just cannot believe how such folk call themselves letting agents and haven't even produced an Inventory when they took these deposits....

I am now informed by one of T's that the bed has broke or one leg has come off....this is where having an Inventory would have helped.

I'm going to be stuck with this as the current T's (students) are all leaving in a month and we still haven't sorted the current tenants deposits, rents, final bills etc

[simonbaldry]

Is the deposit registered with one of the goverment schemes?

[CH1]

pretty sure it's not the goverment based one, think its the insurance based scheme.

[simonbaldry]

Ask for the deposit to be transfered over to your preffered scheme. Then start a new AST with a new inventory

[Simon Dewsberry]

Ask for the deposit to be transfered over to your preffered scheme. Then start a new AST with a new inventory

I would ask for the deposit in "cash" then you can direct it into your prefered scheme...

new ast should be set up with new inventory...

The Rodent