Hi There I'd really appreciate any help anyone can offer. I'm a young girl in my early twenties and have been living in a rented property since last June, and moved out yesterday. The property was DISGUSTING and in a state of disrepair- I've put up with mice, no heating, no water, windows that don't shut (and that's just to mention a few things). When I moved in last June, my landlord took from me 2 months rent (£620 per month)... He told me £620 would be kept as a deposit until I left the property. However, the wording on the lease says "2 months rent in advance". Now, this money is clearly a security deposit despite the wording because of the following reasons: 1- The money was never used as rent. Despite paying "2 months in advance" on 6th June, I then paid my first full month on 1st July (and this is written/demanded in my signed contract) 2- I then continued to pay £620 per month (at the start of the month, to cover the month) with my last payment being on 1st March. So once again, the "rent in advance" was never used as rent in advance. 3- My landlord then withheld some of this money for marks on the carpet (despite having deducted money from the previous tenant's deposit for the same reason)... so it was therefore used as a security deposit, because if this was "rent" then he had no right to withhold money. He gave me a receipt to say he had returned the money, less money for the carpet and we have both signed it. So.... other than his wording, this was 100% a security deposit and this is what I had been told verbally- it was never used/intended as rent in advance from either myself or my landlord. Now, I have checked with the three tenancy deposit protection agencies, and none of them have a deposit registered for myself, or the address I was living at. What are my next steps? I have kept copies of my contract (original), receipt of him taking the deposit, receipt of him returning (some of) it, receipt of my written notice to him and I made sure that (despite him asking for cash payments for rent) I paid him by bank transfer so have record of all my rent leaving my account for his. I have spoken to county court and they have sent me type 8 court papers for a small claim, but these aren't easy to complete, I don't know where to send them to or with what money, and can I represent myself??? Am I entitled to claim 3 x my deposit under the tenancy deposit protection scheme (he is not a live in landlord, the property is private and he does not, that I know of, receive over £25k in annual rent for the property)

Hi There I'd really appreciate any help anyone can offer. I'm a young girl in my early twenties and have been living in a rented property since last June, and moved out yesterday. The property was DISGUSTING and in a state of disrepair- I've put up with mice, no heating, no water, windows that don't shut (and that's just to mention a few things). When I moved in last June, my landlord took from me 2 months rent (£620 per month)... He told me £620 would be kept as a deposit until I left the property. However, the wording on the lease says "2 months rent in advance". Now, this money is clearly a security deposit despite the wording because of the following reasons: 1- The money was never used as rent. Despite paying "2 months in advance" on 6th June, I then paid my first full month on 1st July (and this is written/demanded in my signed contract) 2- I then continued to pay £620 per month (at the start of the month, to cover the month) with my last payment being on 1st March. So once again, the "rent in advance" was never used as rent in advance. 3- My landlord then withheld some of this money for marks on the carpet (despite having deducted money from the previous tenant's deposit for the same reason)... so it was therefore used as a security deposit, because if this was "rent" then he had no right to withhold money. He gave me a receipt to say he had returned the money, less money for the carpet and we have both signed it. So.... other than his wording, this was 100% a security deposit and this is what I had been told verbally- it was never used/intended as rent in advance from either myself or my landlord. Now, I have checked with the three tenancy deposit protection agencies, and none of them have a deposit registered for myself, or the address I was living at. What are my next steps? I have kept copies of my contract (original), receipt of him taking the deposit, receipt of him returning (some of) it, receipt of my written notice to him and I made sure that (despite him asking for cash payments for rent) I paid him by bank transfer so have record of all my rent leaving my account for his. I have spoken to county court and they have sent me type 8 court papers for a small claim, but these aren't easy to complete, I don't know where to send them to or with what money, and can I represent myself??? Am I entitled to claim 3 x my deposit under the tenancy deposit protection scheme (he is not a live in landlord, the property is private and he does not, that I know of, receive over £25k in annual rent for the property)

Hi There I'd really appreciate any help anyone can offer. I'm a young girl in my early twenties and have been living in a rented property since last June, and moved out yesterday. The property was DISGUSTING and in a state of disrepair- I've put up with mice, no heating, no water, windows that don't shut (and that's just to mention a few things). When I moved in last June, my landlord took from me 2 months rent (£620 per month)... He told me £620 would be kept as a deposit until I left the property. However, the wording on the lease says "2 months rent in advance". Now, this money is clearly a security deposit despite the wording because of the following reasons: 1- The money was never used as rent. Despite paying "2 months in advance" on 6th June, I then paid my first full month on 1st July (and this is written/demanded in my signed contract) 2- I then continued to pay £620 per month (at the start of the month, to cover the month) with my last payment being on 1st March. So once again, the "rent in advance" was never used as rent in advance. 3- My landlord then withheld some of this money for marks on the carpet (despite having deducted money from the previous tenant's deposit for the same reason)... so it was therefore used as a security deposit, because if this was "rent" then he had no right to withhold money. He gave me a receipt to say he had returned the money, less money for the carpet and we have both signed it. So.... other than his wording, this was 100% a security deposit and this is what I had been told verbally- it was never used/intended as rent in advance from either myself or my landlord. Now, I have checked with the three tenancy deposit protection agencies, and none of them have a deposit registered for myself, or the address I was living at. What are my next steps? I have kept copies of my contract (original), receipt of him taking the deposit, receipt of him returning (some of) it, receipt of my written notice to him and I made sure that (despite him asking for cash payments for rent) I paid him by bank transfer so have record of all my rent leaving my account for his. I have spoken to county court and they have sent me type 8 court papers for a small claim, but these aren't easy to complete, I don't know where to send them to or with what money, and can I represent myself??? Am I entitled to claim 3 x my deposit under the tenancy deposit protection scheme (he is not a live in landlord, the property is private and he does not, that I know of, receive over £25k in annual rent for the property)

Hi There I'd really appreciate any help anyone can offer. I'm a young girl in my early twenties and have been living in a rented property since last June, and moved out yesterday. The property was DISGUSTING and in a state of disrepair- I've put up with mice, no heating, no water, windows that don't shut (and that's just to mention a few things). When I moved in last June, my landlord took from me 2 months rent (£620 per month)... He told me £620 would be kept as a deposit until I left the property. However, the wording on the lease says "2 months rent in advance". Now, this money is clearly a security deposit despite the wording because of the following reasons: 1- The money was never used as rent. Despite paying "2 months in advance" on 6th June, I then paid my first full month on 1st July (and this is written/demanded in my signed contract) 2- I then continued to pay £620 per month (at the start of the month, to cover the month) with my last payment being on 1st March. So once again, the "rent in advance" was never used as rent in advance. 3- My landlord then withheld some of this money for marks on the carpet (despite having deducted money from the previous tenant's deposit for the same reason)... so it was therefore used as a security deposit, because if this was "rent" then he had no right to withhold money. He gave me a receipt to say he had returned the money, less money for the carpet and we have both signed it. So.... other than his wording, this was 100% a security deposit and this is what I had been told verbally- it was never used/intended as rent in advance from either myself or my landlord. Now, I have checked with the three tenancy deposit protection agencies, and none of them have a deposit registered for myself, or the address I was living at. What are my next steps? I have kept copies of my contract (original), receipt of him taking the deposit, receipt of him returning (some of) it, receipt of my written notice to him and I made sure that (despite him asking for cash payments for rent) I paid him by bank transfer so have record of all my rent leaving my account for his. I have spoken to county court and they have sent me type 8 court papers for a small claim, but these aren't easy to complete, I don't know where to send them to or with what money, and can I represent myself??? Am I entitled to claim 3 x my deposit under the tenancy deposit protection scheme (he is not a live in landlord, the property is private and he does not, that I know of, receive over £25k in annual rent for the property)

PLEASE HELP ME Hi There I'd really appreciate any help anyone can offer. I'm a young girl in my early twenties and have been living in a rented property since last June, and moved out yesterday. The property was DISGUSTING and in a state of disrepair- I've put up with mice, no heating, no water, windows that don't shut (and that's just to mention a few things). When I moved in last June, my landlord took from me 2 months rent (£620 per month)... He told me £620 would be kept as a deposit until I left the property. However, the wording on the lease says "2 months rent in advance". Now, this money is clearly a security deposit despite the wording because of the following reasons: 1- The money was never used as rent. Despite paying "2 months in advance" on 6th June, I then paid my first full month on 1st July (and this is written/demanded in my signed contract) 2- I then continued to pay £620 per month (at the start of the month, to cover the month) with my last payment being on 1st March. So once again, the "rent in advance" was never used as rent in advance. 3- My landlord then withheld some of this money for marks on the carpet (despite having deducted money from the previous tenant's deposit for the same reason)... so it was therefore used as a security deposit, because if this was "rent" then he had no right to withhold money. He gave me a receipt to say he had returned the money, less money for the carpet and we have both signed it. So.... other than his wording, this was 100% a security deposit and this is what I had been told verbally- it was never used/intended as rent in advance from either myself or my landlord. Now, I have checked with the three tenancy deposit protection agencies, and none of them have a deposit registered for myself, or the address I was living at. What are my next steps? I have kept copies of my contract (original), receipt of him taking the deposit, receipt of him returning (some of) it, receipt of my written notice to him and I made sure that (despite him asking for cash payments for rent) I paid him by bank transfer so have record of all my rent leaving my account for his. I have spoken to county court and they have sent me type 8 court papers for a small claim, but these aren't easy to complete, I don't know where to send them to or with what money, and can I represent myself??? Am I entitled to claim 3 x my deposit under the tenancy deposit protection scheme (he is not a live in landlord, the property is private and he does not, that I know of, receive over £25k in annual rent for the property)

Hi There I'd really appreciate any help anyone can offer. I'm a young girl in my early twenties and have been living in a rented property since last June, and moved out yesterday. The property was DISGUSTING and in a state of disrepair- I've put up with mice, no heating, no water, windows that don't shut (and that's just to mention a few things). When I moved in last June, my landlord took from me 2 months rent (£620 per month)... He told me £620 would be kept as a deposit until I left the property. However, the wording on the lease says "2 months rent in advance". Now, this money is clearly a security deposit despite the wording because of the following reasons: 1- The money was never used as rent. Despite paying "2 months in advance" on 6th June, I then paid my first full month on 1st July (and this is written/demanded in my signed contract) 2- I then continued to pay £620 per month (at the start of the month, to cover the month) with my last payment being on 1st March. So once again, the "rent in advance" was never used as rent in advance. 3- My landlord then withheld some of this money for marks on the carpet (despite having deducted money from the previous tenant's deposit for the same reason)... so it was therefore used as a security deposit, because if this was "rent" then he had no right to withhold money. He gave me a receipt to say he had returned the money, less money for the carpet and we have both signed it. So.... other than his wording, this was 100% a security deposit and this is what I had been told verbally- it was never used/intended as rent in advance from either myself or my landlord. Now, I have checked with the three tenancy deposit protection agencies, and none of them have a deposit registered for myself, or the address I was living at. What are my next steps? I have kept copies of my contract (original), receipt of him taking the deposit, receipt of him returning (some of) it, receipt of my written notice to him and I made sure that (despite him asking for cash payments for rent) I paid him by bank transfer so have record of all my rent leaving my account for his. I have spoken to county court and they have sent me type 8 court papers for a small claim, but these aren't easy to complete, I don't know where to send them to or with what money, and can I represent myself??? Am I entitled to claim 3 x my deposit under the tenancy deposit protection scheme (he is not a live in landlord, the property is private and he does not, that I know of, receive over £25k in annual rent for the property) I'd really appreciate any help what so ever Thanks gg