Hello I am in the process of renting a new apartment. Final has to be signed tomorrow. Yesterday, the agency tells me they forgot to make us pay a check-out fee and some other fee to draft the contract. I was wondering how this is legal, as we signed a "deal sheet" mentioning no check-out fee or rather a check-out fee of 0 pounds. What's the value of that deal sheet? (the agreement we signed says there may be a check-out fee, with no amount specified, but that can only be taken if the agency is managing the property, which doesn't seem to be the case) Also, if there's not check-in inventory, I guess there can't be any check-out inventory? thanks for your answer!

When my husband died last year we were in arrears with our Council Tax. I went to the Council and an arrangement was put in place which I've adhered to. Until yesterday, no problem. Yesterday, two letters come through the post from Ross & Roberts addressed to my husband. They were pay up within 7 days or we will take you to Court letters. Being somewhat bemused by these letters, I had a vision of letting them take my husband to Court, me going to Court to "represent" my husband and asking the Judge if the Court could employ the services of a Medium so my husband could state his case from beyond the grave!!! Being serious now. Someone, has slipped up - badly. I don't know if this is the fault of the Council or Ross & Roberts and I'm not sure whose cage to rattle first about this but cage rattle I will. I haven't had anything from the Council themselves, just this DCA. I'm wondering if I can sue them for harrassment and causing distress. It would be nice to turn the tables on them for a change. Any advice welcome.

I have just received a letter from the council demanding housing benefit overpayment of £1130 or they will start court proceedings in 7 days. The circumstances are as follows: I moved from my house in September 2010 and phoned the council tax department to make them aware of my change of circumstances and to take my name off the council tax bill. They informed me would cancel it and my housing benefit payment also. I received a letter later in the week outlining the date of my last payment. In February 2011 I was checking my bank account and realised that I had received a payment for October and November. I emailed them straight away to tell them there had been a mistake and they did not reply. I assumed that as it was an error on their part that I didn't have to pay. I moved to another EU country in March. Ten months later they sent me a letter demanding payment in full within 7 days or face court action. They claim to have sent me two previous letters, but I have not received anything from them. I also do not have the letter they sent me last September saying when the payments would stop. I am now in a complete panic, as the money is due in full tomorrow. Do I have any right to appeal? Can I ask for copies of the letters they sent me acknowledging my change of circumstances as proof that it was their error? As I now live in another country can they really take me to court? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Applied for housing benefit to the local council,and now receive the same. Brief circumstances.Live in private rented property, 2 bed house,the council will only pay benefit based on a 1 bedroom flat as there are just 2 adults and that would be the only property we would be entitled to live in for benefit purposes,based on their calculations.The rent they say for a 1 bed flat is £200 less approx than we pay in rent so the benefit although helpful,is much lower than their benefit online calculator indicates. We also get 9pence per week benefit towards council tax Is this the normal method of calculating housing benefit?? thankyou FS

Residential market update There was an improvement in market conditions in April according to the RICS. Fewer surveyors expect price falls, new buyer enquiries stabilised and sales rose slightly. The number of housing starts was 22% higher in the year ending in March 2011 than the previous year. While this shows more activity, the RICS has warned that house building is still at historically low levels Cost of running a home still rising The average annual cost associated with owning and running a home rose by 1.4% from £8,956 in March 2010 to £9,083 in March 2011, with gas and electricity charges and maintenance being the highest risers. With thanks to SG Landscope

I would really appreciate any help with this. I live in London and have a spare bedroom some of the time. I don't want a permanent lodger but was thinking of renting it out on an occasional basis through crashpadder. I am in receipt of housing benefit and obviously would declare the earnings from this, but cant find any information on the legal implications of doing this and do not want to get into trouble with them. Does anyone know where I would be able to get more information?

Hi, I've looked for legal help on this matter and have been in touch with the MP, CAB, doctors, etc etc everyone and anyone. Here's the story: I have two children a boy being the eldest and a daughter the youngest. 11 years ago I was moved from a 3 bedroom maisonette (previously deemed unsafe for young children) to a 2 bedroom house just 5 weeks before my son turned 5 years old. Atlantic H.A. policy is two siblings of opposite sex where the eldest is 5+ years old are entitled to their own bedrooms. Craftily they moved us just before this time and 11 years later my son has just turned 16 years old and is still sharing with his sister who is due to turn 15 in March. The main reason I believe is rent arrears, due to my ex husband leaving us unexpectedly and got ourselves into a huge pile of debt. I approached the housing within a couple of weeks when I was sure he wasnt coming back and had got out of my darkest days and thay were completely unsymapthetic and threatened to kick us out there and then, even with me in tears telling them what had happened. I lost my job a while later, plunging us further into debt. I've struggled to pay this back. However, visiting the housing department of the council I was told the arrears may not make a difference at all. I know plenty of people who have moved within thios time with young children who have 'borderline problems'. They have moved on health grounds. My children are happy and healthy and I feel they have been penailsed because of this. Should they have moved us from a 3 bed in the first place? Should they have moved us out of the immediate area? This alone is causing a nightmare on finances as i've found myself without a car and have to pay someone to take them to and from school continuously. I know there is no real law against children sharing a bedroom but I do feel we have been wronged here. My son is currently sitting his exams and has a girlfriend etc etc. Both my kids went through puberty at an early age and I feel utterly awful I can't provide them with a basic suitable home. We were told one could sleep in the living room but the house is tiny and we are tripping over each other as it is. Any help would be greatly received.

Private Rented Housing (Scotland) Bill The bill aims to improve standards of service for tenants in private rented housing. It will change the landlord registration system, change HMO licensing and give local authorities more powers to address overcrowding. Landlords will also have to provide a compulsory pre-tenancy information pack for tenants http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/54-prHousing/b54s3-introd.pdf http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/lgc/inquiries/PrivateHousing/index.htm Lex

Today I went to court to defend a Accelerated Possession claim from my Landlord (LL). The Section 21 Notice was, the LL claims posted under my door, even though that is impossible due to size of gap. the Judge believed LL not me, even though the LL could not remember what was in the envelope. Judge called in a witness who swore on oath that he (a friend of LL) saw the Section 8 & Section 21 go into the envelope and then under the door, the witness was not asked to prove who he was in the courtroom, no ID, he just walked in swore on oath said his piece and sat down, he could have been anyone, no one checked! My deposit was paid May 2005 and renewed June 2008 with the original deposit, the LL applied to protect the deposit in January 2010 some 18 months late, The original Certificate was never seen or signed by myself. It has false information on and I had a letter from mydeposits.co.uk who confirmed the protection was invaid as it was applied for outside of the fixed term of 6 months of the AST. . The Judge gave the LL possession and made the decision based on those incorrect false information. The Judge was told 2 or 3 times the information was incorrect and the papers to prove my defence were in front of the Judge. My solicitor informed the Judge the information was incorrect therefore invalid the Judge said that she accepted that the information was incorrect but the LL had made some provision to try to protect the deposit, (even though it was invalid and false) The Judge gave LL the possession order!!! I have no faith in the UK Judicial System it is a con, I had so much evidence in my defence with regard the TDS but the Judge followed the lies and false incorrect information ot determine the Order! I have asked the Court for a transcript of the hearing. I have made a complaint about the Judge at engine search judicial complaints UK I have written to my MP (an ex lawyer) I am aware they all stick together and who is going t take on a Judge for a complaint???? Can I afford to take this to Appeal? Of course not , they know poor people wont get legal aid so they treat them like this! (Im on JSA) Judges are not exempt they are not higher than teh law they do not create teh law they make decisions based on fact and truth..unless your the Judge I had! The Court should be a place of truth and justice!

I posted a long time back about getting my partners mother moved from their council house to nearer to us as she has very poor health and her friend who is her carer is 72 and they both need more support they're currently 75 miles away. Long story short after some help from an MP they have been offered a local home. They have told the council they are leaving and they now want them to sign terms and conditions saying things like they need to remove all furniture (fair enough) but they also say all carpets must be removed now the carpets that are there were down when they moved in about 24 years ago. Can the council REALLY make them remove the carpets it seems totally ridiculous to me to expect people on benefits who are having to borrow every penny from relatives to be able to afford to move house to remove carpets (stair carpet is under a stairlift anyway). The housing officer is coming tomorrow to put the thumb screws on her to sign immediately, have told her to sign nothing so need help ASAP!!!! Thanks