Using deposit as last month's rent?

Zipppy

Our lease finishes up in about 6 weeks..We are buying a house so will not be renewing..
All has been good, good relationship with letting agent and we have have kept property in excellent condition.
Debating can we just say to leting agent to keep deposit as lasyt months rent rather than paying the rent and then seeking the deposit back?
Opinions?

L1011

Letting agent and landlord are unlikely to be willing to accept it, should you happen to damage the property in the last month.

sweeney1971

I have rented property in the past and as long as you feel you have not damaged the property I would keep the rent back. Some Letting Agents tend to keep the deposit without the owner knowing. No matter if you have had a good relationship with the letting agent. It is no skin off his nose and after all the money is better in your pocket than his.

mitosis

Zipppy wrote: »

Our lease finishes up in about 6 weeks..We are buying a house so will not be renewing..
All has been good, good relationship with letting agent and we have have kept property in excellent condition.
Debating can we just say to leting agent to keep deposit as lasyt months rent rather than paying the rent and then seeking the deposit back?
Opinions?

Why? You owe rent and have agreed to leave the deposit until your term expires. I don't understand why you wouldn't play straight.

Doom

Also its a security against any unpaid bills, gas, esb, etc

Gandhi

If the landlord is using a letting agency then they would probably be less likely to let you do this than if you were dealing directly with the landlord. They'd be taking a risk with someone else's money which is the complete opposite of what he is paying them for.

FTR I am a landlord and I would have no hesitation in doing this for my current tenants as they keep the house looking like a furniture catalogue and are never so much as a minute late with the rent or any other bills.

Mr.Wemmick

It totally depends on the LL and whether you trust them, or whether they're well-organised or not..

I am really against money being left with the Landlord and it being solely up to them whether you get it back or not. Deposits should be left with a third party: separate bank a/c and only released when both parties agree on the condition of the apartment/property.

In my last rental, I really liked my Landlord, sound bloke, but he was very absent minded. Meant well but I often had to get things organised myself and then sort it out with him via the rent. Before I left, I lived out my deposit for the month, got him to do a full inspection of the property with me before my leaving date. We agreed on what I needed to repair/fix, which I did and paid for. I paid all bills up to date and left the place in a better state than I got it.

If I had left my deposit with him, it would have taken him months to give it back to me and I would've have had to chase him constantly.

The_Conductor

OP- unless you have the express permission of the landlord to do this- you are in breach of your lease if you go down this road. You will hear all the horror stories of people who never got their deposits back etc- but if you've been a good tenant, are on good terms with the landlord, and have not damaged the property- there really is no good reason that you wouldn't get the deposit back.

It normally takes a few weeks (aka for all the utility bills to come in and be reconciled etc)- but with the exception of minor deductions- the norm is that you would receive the bulk of the deposit back.

I don't understand why so many people seem to think that the law doesn't apply to them.........