Thanks Nightmare4banks - very much appreciated! I shall post with any developments as / if they occur. I agree this guy will probably give up ... and that the problem is that he has got used to using bullying tactics on someone over the years and getting away with it .. and is a little surprised the same tactics are not working now my girlfriend is out of the flat .. and is backed up in her stance by her friends. Thanks again, Mark

Thanks Nightmare4banks, The landlord verbally accepted netting the rent against the deposit, and my girlfriend wrote to him to confirm this. A month later (just before the end of the tenancy) he wrote to rescind that agreement .. I agree the landlord is entitled to keep the deposit to 'cover' the lost deposit. The issue is that he wants more, because he is claiming the flat needs extensive work on it. This will probably end in Court, or at arbitration. I guess the simple question is which of the following alernatives are best: 1. Pay the landlord the £500 of unpaid rent and sue for the deposit back (in my view he is being entirely unreasonable on seeking to claim any of this deposit). 2. Wait for the summons (which will presumeably be for unpaid rent) and then counter-sue for the deposit. 3. Seek out some form of arbitration service to lodge the £500 with and then wait for them to resolve the issue? Thanks for your help, Mark

My girfriend lived for nine years with her son in a (poorly) furnished flat paying market rent. She has now moved out. She spoke to the landlord 6 weeks before doing so to give notice, and to say that she was assuming she could net the the last months rent against the deposit. She wrote to confirm this after the call. The Landlord agreed to this verbally, but then (about a week before the end of the tenancy) said that she should not have netted off the rent against the deposit, and recommending she 'seek advice'. Two weeks after she had vacated the property he went to inspect (on his own - no joint inspection took place, although she offered one), and decided that she had caused extensive damage, and demanded £500 (the deposit). He has chosen to replace the cooker (nine years old) and most of the furniture, and is renovating the flat. In nine years he decorated one wall once (to paint over the extensive damp on that wall), and replaced one bed, which had fallen apart. To be fair, he also replaced the gas boiler when it failed. Basically he appears to be renovating the property after nine years of neglect, and wants my girlfriend to pay for this ... and now for the 'lost rent' over the vacant period as well. There are no outstanding bills. Where does she stand? I presume that he will succeed in asking for what amounts to outstanding rent. Can we countersue for the deposit? Will the claims be heard together, or should we pay the 'withheld rent' and then sue for the deposit?