Landlord and Deposit Dispute

western_

Please delete. I got my answer I think.
Thanks.

Cuddlesworth

Your dog damaged the garden. Some compost and some seed dropped into holes just before leaving does not fix this.

There is no way in hell a hedge in Ireland doesn't need to be trimmed over the space of a year. That's a pretty bare faced lie right there.

You should have cut the grass before leaving, not two weeks before. We are in the height of summer, grass needs to be cut twice monthly.

I don't think you did yourself any favours.

StillWaters

Unless you caused the leak you are not responsible for the plumber's fee.

I don't know what sort of hedge/height etc, but I pay €70 once a year, that's probably on the cheap side though.

The main issue seems to be the damage caused by the dog. Do you have photos?

western_

No I didn't take photos.

odds_on

Why did you delete your original post - now readers with the same type of problem will not know what this thread is about?

djimi

Whatever he wants to deduct from you he must provide full receipts/invoices and he cannot deduct for any work which he carries out himself.

How big is the garden? My advice would be to tell to get up off his backside and cut the grass himself before his new tenants move in if it means that much to him. Provided you made a reasonable effort to keep the grass cut I dont see how he has any call for complaint. Obviously we only have your word as to the work done but a fortnights growth should not cause him any undue heartache when it comes to cutting it the next time.

Also the fact that he expected you to cut the grass but refused to provide a lawnmower is an absolute disgrace. No lawnmower = no grass cutting; as a tenant its not my responsibility to provide something like a lawnmower.

Is it in writing about you having to cut the grass or trim the hedge? If its not in writing in the lease then I would tell him to go jump. Verbal agreements mean absolutely nothing when it comes to this kind of dispute and he cannot back up, in writing, what was said then nothing was said and no agreements were made.

The holes in the lawn probably will be an issue for you; I know you say you made an effort to fix them up but depending on the job done it may still end up looking patchy where they were repaired and he is right to be aggrieved about that.

Only you know how obvious the leak was. I will say that Ive heard of water leaks happening outside the house where its not at all obvious, but depending on how long they have been going on for Id imagine it wouldnt be long before you start to notice some signs of a leak in the garden or around the house. That said, youre right that its normal in some places to lose water pressure in summer months, and I would have thought the onus would be on the landlord to prove that you knew about the leak and did nothing to fix it.

The bottom line is that if the landlord wants to deduct from your deposit then he must provide written proof of all expenses and be able to account for where all the money has gone/will go. If you are not happy with any of this you are entitled to open a case with the PRTB and dispute the charges.

odds_on

djimi wrote: »

Whatever he wants to deduct from you he must provide full receipts/invoices and he cannot deduct for any work which he carries out himself.

....... The bottom line is that if the landlord wants to deduct from your deposit then he must provide written proof of all expenses and be able to account for where all the money has gone/will go. If you are not happy with any of this you are entitled to open a case with the PRTB and dispute the charges.

When using a tenant's deposit for repairs, a landlord is not permitted to make an "improvement" to his property only return it to the standard it was at the beginning of the tenancy (excepting normal wear and tear).