Tenant and ruined carpet. What to do?

I have never had a lodger but rented out a flat for a couple of years. I always had an inventory taken when they moved in and again when they moved out.

I would also advise not returning the deposit for a week after the tenant has moved out in case there is any hidden damage.

I had a tenant who left the grill on the cooker all night. He replaced all the bits on the cooker that were damaged and that was OK and I did make stoppages for other damage done, but I only discovered that leaving the grill on overnight had done major damage to the electricity Comsumer Unit, when I had the electrical check done before the next tenants moved in. This had to be replaced and cost £500, but by that time the tenants had had the rest of their deposit repaid and I had to pay for the new unit with no recourse to the tenant who did the damage.

Thanks oldgimmer.

How is a moth infestation his fault? Especially in your house where you are living.

After we had damage caused by a tenant I now take photo's of everything before a new tenant moves in and get the to sign saying they are accurate. We all live and learn.

Tenants have Tenancy Agreements which make it easier in some ways as the terms and conditions are set out therein.

It's technically possible for a tenant to live in a home with a landlord but I doubt it applies here.

Lodging arrangements tend to be less formalised so care needs to be taken when taking in s lodger.

Ideally, the OP should have drawn up some kind of agreement, including an inventory/inspection arrangements so she can prove damage etc.

Different rules, then?
I don't know anything about renting, or moths, now I come to think about it.

He's a lodger, not a tenant, by what the OP is saying.

I think it would be very difficult to prove that the tenant was responsible.

I agree with flexible.

I think you may have a fight on your hands here if you can't prove he caused the damage.

Make sure you get a forwarding address from him in case you need to go through small claims.

A receipt from when you bought it 5 years ago proves nothing about the condition it was in when he moved in. He might just accept not getting his deposit back but you really need to learn from this. Has the moth infestation spread outside his room?

The deposit should be with a deposit protection service. You would have to negotiate via them.

He's a lodger isn't he not a tenant, different rules apply and yes I'd keep the deposit and tell him why. Next time insist on 3 monthly inspections as my letting agent does with my tenants.

Take a picture of it as it is now, and if you have receipts or a copy of the order from when it was bought, keep that with the photo.

Then write explaining why you will not be refunding the deposit and enclose copies of evidence.

If he kicks up, then you have something to show to strengthen your argument.

Then he’s not a tenant is he? Why on earth did you not regularly inspect his room ? Have you photographic proof of the state of the carpet before he moved in? Chalk it up to experience and set inspection rules if you have another lodger.

I would keep the deposit then.

Carpet was in good clean condition. Roughly 5 years old and a wool carpet. Hes a lodger and I live in same house.

www.gov.uk/deposit-protection-schemes-and-landlords

This is what I was thinking of - you put your case and they decide if it’s acceptable.

It would depend on how old the carpet was, and the condition when they moved in

Don’t you have to go through some sort of system now for claiming against a deposit?

Absolutely, yes

Yes. That's what the deposit is for!