Thank you to everyone who supported us.
The images taken above, for context, were taken at the very beginning of the tenancy when the boys moved in, and the landlord and agent still tried to claim for £300 cleaning, broken kitchen units and a replaced shower door!!!
Yesterday, the DPS (Deposit Protection Service) Alternative Dispute Resolution ruled entirely against the claim by the landlord and Chase Buchanan Group Limited (Letting agent) of £830 deductions from the deposit and dismissed all four of their claims on the very solid evidence we provided, all of which the agent was always aware of and was even confirmed in their own tenancy inventory, which they provided to ADR!
We are grateful that the right decision has been made, but we are shocked at why such an obvious situation was ever disputed and dragged on for nearly four months, depriving students of their money and causing distrust with professional companies there to protect them. Also, why a property that is clearly in such a poor condition in the first place, when a new tenancy commences, is even allowed to be rented out to desperate students seeking a home while they study? These are our future leaders, this is how we treat them at the very beginning of their adulthood, nice!
The ADR ruling, which cannot be contested, has justified everything we have done to get justice and our money back. It also clarified that the flat was dirty and in poor condition before the tenancy started.
Nobody should have to fight for months to get their money back when the situation is so clearly against the landlord/letting agent. No letting agent who is fully aware of property and letting laws and agreements should fight such cases, as they must surely know that all it does is create a lot of stress for young tenants and also seeds doubt in the whole system that these young people are about to enter as adults. It also takes money they need out of their pockets and I have no doubt many simply don't have the means to fight it, and the agent and landlord win.
I am delighted that the letting agent and landlord have not received a single penny back, but I am very clear that much change is needed to protect students in Bristol and beyond.