Deposit Advice

[R1stu]

Our lodger has just told us that due to her sponser not sending any money over she has to move out.

She has said that she can only afford to pay for 2 weeks rent and she will leave on the 14th may!

Now the aggrement states she must give 4 weeks notice. now she is a good friend of my wifes now and has been saying she has no money for food, so she needs the deposit back to by shopping etc (£100) however she has only paid us £7 in 9months for electricty (Should be £10 every 3m) and also keeps braking the shower hose attacment and this needs to be replaced.

Now I feel we should at least keep some of the deposit to pay for the elec owed and damage (£20 is fair) but then again she is leaving 2 weeks early and tech should still pay us £40 if we kept her deposit.

Whats your views?

[sacko]

Personally, I would give her the £20 and keep a good friend? ;)

[bikerflier]

Keep the deposit and insist on the £40.
Thats what tenancy agreements are for, to protect both sides.
She signed up to it as did you, legally binding.
Sounds like she's had a good deal from you and now playing on your guilt and friendship.
Will she stay in touch with your wife? Probably doubtful once she's moved away. Short new friendships like this don't usually last once apart.
Always best to keep tenants at arms length, but polite, friendships lead to problems like this all too often.

[sacko]

Aren't you sub-letting though, so how 'official' is the agreement?

Does a broken shower head really qualify to be posted on here?..

[R1stu]

[QUOTE=sacko;650333]Aren't you sub-letting though, so how 'official' is the agreement?

Does a broken shower head really qualify to be posted on here?..[/QUOTE]

No not really, but it needs to be replaced, and the aggrement states she needs to pay for electricty and all we have recieved is £7 in 9months.

[zoombolt]

Simply point out your issues raised here & split the deposit £50 each. Your happy, & she should be to when it's made apparent to her the outstanding amounts & binding agreements etc.

Ensure your misses stays well out of it to.
Good luck.

[Mark_T]

I'm not sure exactly when I got so cynical, but part of me at least thinks she is using what money she has as a deposit/rent money for wherever she is going next and so she is just trying to guilt you and your wife into settling for less than you should.

The electricity money should have been sorted out long ago and the shower head is just one of those things so I'd ignore the bits that are hard to prove or may be contentious and just focus on the rent she owes for the full notice period and if that means keeping her deposit then so be it.