Looking for some advice on a deposit dispute.
I rented a property (England) starting July 2024. Before moving in, we agreed several conditions in writing via the letting agent. One of those explicitly stated:
- “Mattresses to be disposed of”
A letting agent also confirmed separately in writing:
- “The landlord has agreed to remove the mattresses.”
There was no mention of any cost to us or contribution toward replacements.
We've now ended our tenancy, and the landlord is now trying to deduct £150 from our deposit as a “contribution towards new mattresses.”
We rejected this, citing the pre-tenancy agreements, provided written evidence, and it has now been escalated to a deposit replacement scheme dispute. The letting agency has told us that they will submit the evidence we have provided on our behalf (I don't trust them).
Evidence I've submitted:
- The written pre-tenancy agreement proposed by the agency/landlord
- Email confirmation that the landlord would remove the two dated mattresses from the property ahead of the tenancy starting
On my end, I have requested to see the evidence that the landlord has provided for this case. Unsure if the letting agency is obliged to share this.
Questions:
- Can a landlord turn around and change the terms of our agreement ~2 years after the fact?
- Is there anything else we should submit to strengthen our case?
Feels like an open-and-shut case to me, but curious if I'm missing anything or if the letting agency/landlord is just trying to intimidate us into paying £150.
For further context, I received the house is a poor state (as per the check-in inventory), redorated the house (with the landlord's written permission) and returned it in a much nicer condition (as per the check-out inventory). So I feel like the landlord is just being greedy at this point after realising he would need to purchase new mattresses.