My landlord no longer wants to renew the contract which expired on a section 21 notice -trouble is i have no money to use as advance for a new flat! - am on housing benefit and get working tax credits of 208 per month to live off--not enough to save for advance has anyone been in this position-- i am feeling i would be better off if i had a kid -as the council has already told me they have no duty of care to rehouse me and that basically i'm on my own! tough luck! i realise i have to stay put or i will be accused by the council of making myself intentionally homeless to up and leave--but then i will probably suffer court costs too-not that i have anywhere to go to anyway. Has anyone got round this dilema-no money-no-flat-homeless

Hi, I am new to this site, so not sure about where to post my questions...hence putting it into the 'Welcome' section...I have had a very nasty experience with my landlord... I rented a double room in a flat sharing system; this was my first time as a lodger...On the 10th of September (Monday), I deposited a full month's rent of £450 directly into the bank account of my landlord and then collected the key and put some of my stuff in, before leaving for london..The flat had two rooms, one for me and the other for another lodger...The landlord would use a bedroom put in the living room, over the weekend when he would come from london, where he works.. I returned on Saturday (15th Sept)...I paid the deposit of £450 in cash on sunday and signed a standard agreement, which he also signed and we each had one copy...Then he left for london and I saw him next on Friday (21st Sept)...On saturday morning, he woke me up and accused me of stealing something from the shared living room..He started yelling and told me to get out... I packed all of my stuff and called the removal vans...When i went to ask for my deposit, he told me to come at 4 pm for the deposit and next week for the remaining rent that was due..When I objected he pushed me on the chest and hurled abuses at me.I was afraid that he might assault me..At this point I was really scared...I went back to my room and called the police, then collected my valuables, locked my room and went outside the building to wait for the police..The police had a chat with him..he had too much to drink..I was able to come back and get all of my belongings..I returned the keys and he told me that he would transfer the money- the deposit (£450), two week's rent (£130) on a working day that is Monday which is today... Given his nasty behavior, I have a feeling he might not return the money...The agreement which i signed states that before leaving, a month's notice has to be given by the lodger or the landlord whichever applies...'Anything less than this is subject to a daily rental charge by the lodger'...I guess that this is the sticky bit, he doesn't have to give me anything....but what about the deposit... I am entitled to my full deposit...The agreement states that I would be returned the full amount if all utensils and property were found to be in the same condition as when i arrived..Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures when i arrived...but i just lived in the room and property for 6 days... I want to know where should I go for getting my deposit and if possible my remaining rent...Do i stand much chance? In terms of evidence I have the agreement...It states that I have paid £450 rent and another £450 as deposit...plus the police members who came, they knew that i was kicked out on Saturday 22nd sept...Can I bring them as witnesses or something...sorry if I am coming across as ignorant but i really don't know how to go about this...I am an international student and have been living in a university accommodation for the past year... Given this experience..not just for the financial loss but also the emotional distress caused by this situation...I am planning to return to my country.. but I would still like to make an attempt at getting my money back...I think this man may be running a [problem] of some sort....I would really appreciate any help... Thanks Prateek

Hope someone here can provide a little advice. I recently left my rental property after ~5 years. My landlord did not take a deposit when I moved in, nor did they conduct an exit inspection with me present prior to me moving out (I requested that the landlord do this when I handed my notice in, but they did not get back to me about it). The landlord now wishes to charge me for some damages and cleaning which I am happy to pay for, as I simply ran out of time before I had a chance to clean the entire house to the standard I would have liked. I have a few concerns though: I believe the landlord may charge an unreasonable amount for cleaning, as they are undertaking the job themselves I believe the landlord may try and charge for as-new repairs, when I know that the damage could be remedied with, for example, spare parts rather than a lock-stock-and-barrel replacement The landlord also wants to charge for a broken appliance that I know for certain was working when I moved out, but not having gone through an exit inspection I don't know how we can get around a situation of my word against theirs. The landlord has also been bombarding me with picture messages of each (small!) item of cleaning they have had to do, and has been on the phone to me accusing me of lying and trying to pull a fast one, even though I have always made clear that, deposit or no, I want to make things right. So what are my rights here? What is the landlord's legal standing given the lack of deposit or exit inspection? I'm happy to pay for reasonable cleaning and repairs, but could this get protracted and horrible if, as I suspect, the landlord comes back with a bill that includes an unreasonable amount of work and some downright fabrications? Am I within my rights to send them a cheque for a reasonable amount along with a covering letter justifying it? What should I do if the unprofessional abuse via phone and text message continues? Thanks all.