Unsurprisingly my ex-landlord has paid no attention to any of your common sense advice and is continuing to bang on about starting proceedings and how spiteful and vindictive I am (yet he's the one harassing a 9-month pregnant woman). One of his new claims is that the deposit doesn't cover the carpet. Could that be the case?

Thank you both for your replies. I was beginning to doubt myself but you've reassured me that he is out of order.

Yes, we've moved in July 2005 and moved out October 2008.

I'm having problems with my ex-landlord. He's always been quite odd to deal with - everything seemed to be my fault and he was constantly reminding me that the flat had been refurbished just before we moved into it. We started renting a flat in July 2005, primarily because it was cheap and was supposed to be a stop gap until I could afford something better. As soon as we moved in there were lots of problems - door handles falling off doors, British Gas not allowing us to use the boiler because it hadn't been installed properly, mice, to name a few. I asked several times for the stairs to the garden to be sorted as they were wonky, moved when walked on and were so rotten that a few of them broke when stood on. The landlord/agent (the place is owned by the letting agent) kept telling me that the stairs were fine. The decorating was done very badly - wallpaper overlapping and not done properly in the corners, the doors didn't fit properly so the place was very drafty and the window frames were rotting. It's an unfurnished flat and there was no inventory about the condition of the place. There was no fire alarm installed and the agent is not a member of any association. One particular problem was the cheap carpet throughout the flat. The first time I hoovered the carpet started unravelling. The landlord came round this year (around three years after moving in) and told me to replace the carpet. I changed the carpet in two of the rooms to laminate flooring. Every time I had contact with the landlord he would remind me that the flat was newly decorated when moving in. I then got pregnant with my third child and decided to move out. The landlord came round and became very nasty. He complained about the state of the place, claimed I'd trashed it, didn't like the laminate flooring, asked that I either replaced the rest of the carpet or paid for it to be replaced, even checked the lights in each room. He claimed that I had trashed the place. I suggested that it needed a coat of paint and new carpet, not the cheap stuff that was already there. I told him the days I was planning to move out. He also claimed to have sent me a lot of letters that I hadn't received and then claimed that I was lying when I said I hadn't had them. I asked him to leave and he wouldn't go. Luckily I had asked my ex-husband to be there in case the landlord became difficult. I threatened to call the police and my ex had to escort the landlord out. I then started getting letters claiming that I had "trashed" the flat and getting quite nasty. We moved out and the landlord did not show up on either of the dates we gave him. I had already given him spare keys shortly after moving in so I left my keys in the flat for him to pick up. He is now writing very nasty letters claiming that he can't access the flat, that I was supposed to leave the keys at a nearby address although he never informed me about this, that he intends to start proceedings and to get money from me, is going to charge me rent until he gets keys from me and will charge me for forcible entry. I have tried to point out that he has keys and shouldn't need to force entry. A previous letter, before moving out, claimed that I wasn't giving him access to view the property and he was going to let himself in so either he was planning on breaking in or can't keep his story straight. Because he was so difficult and it was clear that he had no intention of returning my deposit, I didn't bother painting the walls or replacing the carpet. I have also not bothered chasing up the deposit (£736) which will more than cover what I would consider wear and tear. I haven't given him my new address as, at this stage of my pregnancy (near the end) I'm keen to avoid stress and find his behaviour inappropriate, intimidating and disturbing, although my post is redirected so I still get his letters. In them he is asserting that I've trashed the flat, that wherever I go he will find me and pursue the matter, he intends to contact my employer and new landlord and that my behaviour is vindictive. I'm sorry this is so long. Any ideas on how to handle this? I'm happy for him to keep the deposit if it means that I can get on having my baby and getting on with my life. He seems determined to make my life a misery though. Whatever money he wants I don't have and certainly won't get whilst on maternity leave. Can I go to the Ombudsman even though the agency is not a member of the ombudsman scheme?

The cheque has cleared, the court has been informed and £220 has been paid to CAG. Thank you to everyone for their help and support. I actually couldn't have done it without CAG, not just due to a complete lack of knowledge but the encouragement and experience of everyone on the forum has made it so much easier. Good luck to everyone who is still going through the process. It's worth it. I'm off shoe shopping now!

Due in court on March 12th, I called Inga Kirkman today to point out that I hadn't received their court bundle. She told me that they had already sent me a letter of settlement. Indeed, when I got home there was a letter waiting for me, offering payment in full plus additional interest from 2nd October to date which I hadn't even thought of. I'll be checking my account every day until it arrives before contacting the court to withdraw my claim.

I've got three copies of their complaints procedure. It's their way of not answering our questions.

Does anyone have a link to the OFT statement summary listed on the contents page of the court bundle? I'm not sure what OFT statement this is.

I now have my court date. March 12th. This is where the hard work really starts. I'm off to read the court bundle now and may be some time. :-|

And the day after Inga Kirkman wrote to Southerner, she cut and pasted it to me too!

Congratulations Lisa. That has made me feel less anxious about going through the process myself. You must feel very relieved!

Well I finally managed to scrape together the money to start my claim and that was done on October 5th. Abbey are defending the claim and I'll get the AQ shortly. It all feels a bit scary now but I've got nothing to lose I suppose.

There's been a few people that this has happened to recently but it does seem to be a new trick of theirs. Although Abbey may call it a goodwill payment I assume it's to make it look like they have been reasonable or generous.

I came across this whilst looking for a new bank account: edit It looks dodgy to me. There's no company details and it's very vague.

Thank you, and good luck with your claim.