Deposit Question

Lux23

I was renting an apartment with my boyfriend, unfortunately my father passed away in early December and we had to break the lease for financial reasons. The landlord was very nice and told us not to worry.

We paid rent from 19/11/2014 to 19/12/2014, we were due to officially move out on the 19/12/2014 but some of our stuff was still there until 05/01/2015. I paid an ESB bill that was due on 16/01 which was fair enough. The landlord has only just got new tenants in and I only just got the meter readings to close off my account. I didn't want to close my account without the readings as nobody was in the flat so an estimated bill would have been far higher. So it looks like I am stuck with another bill for half of Jan, February and a few days of March.

My name is on the bill so legally I am responsible, I don't dispute that.

But my mother says he should be giving us back a portion of the deposit, I don't see that he would have to as we would have foregone this by breaking the lease.

Am I right?

Michael D Not Higgins

Your deposit covers lost rent as well as damage above normal wear and tear and any outstanding debt. Presumably your deposit was one month's rent which has been more than used by the period of vacancy since before Christmas.

Lux23

That is what I thought, but should I be paying bills as well? I feel a bit of a mug, paying his electricity bill for a property I haven't lived in since December. I asked him several times for the meter readings and I didn't get them until there was a new tenant.

Michael D Not Higgins

Lux23 wrote: »

That is what I thought, but should I be paying bills as well? I feel a bit of a mug, paying his electricity bill for a property I haven't lived in since December. I asked him several times for the meter readings and I didn't get them until there was a new tenant.

No you shouldn't have paid the electricity. You should have got the meter reading when leaving and closed the account then. I'm afraid you probably have to put this down to a learning experience.

Lux23

I guess so. We didn't have access to the meter readings though, they were locked away and only the landlord had a key. He had no agent and didn't live locally so couldn't get them. It shouldn't be that high if no one was there anyhow.

Michael D Not Higgins

Lux23 wrote: »

I guess so. We didn't have access to the meter readings though, they were locked away and only the landlord had a key. He had no agent and didn't live locally so couldn't get them. It shouldn't be that high if no one was there anyhow.

Meter boxes have standard triangular keys to open. You can get them easily enough, unless it was locked away differently. If it was the standard key then you don't really have an argument.

If it was something different then that's something you should take up with the landlord. You said however that you paid a bill for middle of Jan, was that estimated reading? You could have closed it then, no?

Lux23

Michael D Not Higgins wrote: »

Meter boxes have standard triangular keys to open. You can get them easily enough, unless it was locked away differently. If it was the standard key then you don't really have an argument.

If it was something different then that's something you should take up with the landlord. You said however that you paid a bill for middle of Jan, was that estimated reading? You could have closed it then, no?

It was an estimated reading and the latest one probably would have been too. The meter box isn't in the flat, it was in a box locked inside an office. The management company (person) would only direct me back to the landlord and vice versa.

Ah sure, we live and learn.

TheChizler

Lux23 wrote: »

It was an estimated reading and the latest one probably would have been too. The meter box isn't in the flat, it was in a box locked inside an office. The management company (person) would only direct me back to the landlord and vice versa.

Ah sure, we live and learn.

That's strange, aren't they meant to be accessible to ESB readers?

Michael D Not Higgins

TheChizler wrote: »

That's strange, aren't they meant to be accessible to ESB readers?

Fierce strange altogether. Who owns the office?

Lux23

Michael D Not Higgins wrote: »

Fierce strange altogether. Who owns the office?

I am not sure, I didn't think it was odd at all, it was the exact same set up in the previous two buildings I lived in except that there was a lock that we all had the combination to.

Lux23

TheChizler wrote: »

That's strange, aren't they meant to be accessible to ESB readers?

They did have access by appointment. It was a lazy management company, they have everything set up to suit themselves.