Cracks in the plaster I'm sure you would not be expected to cover! As for wall scuffs, after a year there would be a certain amount of wear and tear expected... All depends on how reasonable your landlords are normally? Do they seem like nice people? Babywipes and Magic Erasers are brilliant on wall scuffs, try both/either to minimise the marks and you will probably be fine. There are a few landlords who would expect to repaint in between tenants anyway.

As you've moved out, my feelings are that you should write it off, you left when you could and to be honest, what would you expect to achieve? I don't think that the "distress" of the landlords advising you to leave a window open constitutes anything. If you still lived there I'd have thought the housing authority might have a concern about the mould, but even then I wouldn't expect you to receive any monetary recompense. You'll have difficulty proving anything now, unless you have letters from the landlord admitting the state of the windows?

Additional to this post, I took 49 pictures of the property. I do believe that the landlords may dispute the condition the property was left in. Due to costs I have only printed off 12 pictures in low resolution - if the deposit scheme get the landlords POV, will they come back to me and say "well they had to pay to clean the oven" and I am able to say "well here is a picture of the inside of the oven"?? Am I able to retrospectively submit more pictures? I can't see the point of harrassing the dispute team with 50 large pictures of a clean house when I have submitted at least one photo of each room to show generally the state of the property?

Also, have you seen this post http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/residential-commercial-lettings/74057-disrepairs-privately-rented-accommodation.html

In this climate, assuming you have been paying your rent on time and causing no hassles I can't see any reason why the landlord wouldn't permit to a month by month agreement, and also allow you to rescind your notice. He will have to pay costs to get a new tennant, and also have the worry of what the next one will be like. I'm sure if you ring them up for a chat they will be compliant about it.

Did she have a contract with her friend? Or just a matey verbal one?

Have you read through your contract? My old one stated that the landlord will return any rent payable for the period a property has been rendered uninhabitable. Good luck.

I am guessing if they did not pay the rent, and live in a tip, they actually have no money to give you anyway. In order to find them I would assume that would involve private detectives and then you would have to appoint a solicitor to advise you on how to recover the costs... Once you go down that route how much of £5k will you have spent, not to mention the heartache involved?

Hi everyone I hate being a new member and then first post is asking for everyone to help me... And having said that I would really appreciate some quick advice as to whether I am able to get the full deposit back of my rented property. Simply, I rented a property for 3 months, the landlords ended up having their house repossessed (well, so the letters say but it didn't in the end, I can only assume they came up with a last minute agreement) and we were given 2 weeks notice to move out by the bailiffs. We left with one week's rent owing and I was under the illusion that the bank had possession of the property anyway. There's no bloody way after the stress and costs involved do I feel they have any moral right to that week's rent... But legally? Is there a way I can phrase it to get it back?? It's £170 and it's the principle of it!!! I have tried hard to find some answers on t'internet, but I think it's an unusual case and some brief opinions would be SO much appreciated. Am trying to word it in our Deposit Scheme claim form - here's the unfinished final paragraph. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer