Before moving out from the home she shared with her landlady, one woman was left horrified when she was told why she wouldn’t be getting her full deposit back.
The 31-year-old woman, who is using the pseudonym Sara, moved into the 2-bedroom property that she found on SpareRoom in Cambridge, United Kingdom, in February. She would be living with the 62-year-old landlady, but she told Newsweek that she “didn’t see it as an issue” at the time.
“I thought I would be fine because I’m a quiet person, mindful of shared spaces, and aware of the dynamics of living in someone else’s home,” Sara said.
Prior to moving in, the landlady laid out several house rules for Sara, which included opening the windows daily and paying for each use of the dryer. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but once Sara moved in, she felt the landlady was “far more particular” than previously thought.
Whenever there was a problem, Sara alleges that the landlady wouldn’t address it with her directly, but rather, via text message or notes left in the kitchen.
Throughout her five-week stay, Sara had several complications which ultimately led her to leave in March. Sara claims she “had to tiptoe” around to prevent conflicts.
Less than two weeks after moving in, Sara gave notice to her landlord on February 20 to state that she would be moving out on March 20. Before moving out, Sara spent over an hour cleaning; she swept, wiped surfaces, and changed the bedding before posting the keys through the mailbox four days early.
“The landlord was hospitalized just before I moved out, and her daughter took over communications,” Sara said. “Their styles were identical—strict, impersonal, and passive-aggressive. On my last day, I received a message about not maintaining standards, citing a pan left on the cooker as an issue (I planned to clean it after packing).”
Days later, Sara was informed that she had £50 ($64) deducted from her deposit “for dust in corners” of the rooms. She also claims that “unclean windows,” dust under the bed and behind the sofa, “a hair on the shelf,” and crumbs in the fridge were cited as additional reasons.
“There was no pre-move-in inventory, meaning they had no proof of the room’s prior condition. If such a deep clean was expected, it should have been stated upfront, allowing me to plan accordingly or opt out entirely,” Sara told Newsweek.
While renting a room from a landlord can be convenient, Matt Hutchinson, director at the flatshare site SpareRoom, tells Newsweek that lodgers “don’t have the same protections” as tenants do.
To avoid disputes and to enable positive communication, agreements should be signed between lodgers and landlords. But that’s not all, as Hutchinson also highlights the importance of “communication and compromise on both sides.”
“While landlords must protect tenants’ deposits in one of three tenancy deposit schemes, homeowners renting out rooms in their homes aren’t required to do so by law. What that means is deductions that lodgers believe to be unfair are harder to dispute, as there’s no one to mediate,” he said.
After being sent several images supposedly showing the dust and dirt she had been charged for, Sara shared them in a Reddit post (u/Aweebitwind) to ask for advice. The online reaction has been incredibly supportive, and Sara has connected with many others who faced similar challenges.
The Reddit post has captured plenty of attention online, generating over 200 upvotes and more than 260 comments at the time of writing.
“Looking back, I’m convinced that it was a rather abusive relationship. Some people on Reddit accused me of not taking care of myself, but they had no idea how careful I had to be. I’m glad I got out early and I’ll never put myself in that position again,” Sara continued.
Among the hundreds of comments on Reddit, many offered Sara advice, while others shared their similar experiences.
One Reddit user wrote: “Deposit protection scheme?? If they didn’t put your deposit into the scheme then report them. It’s their responsibility to do it.”
Another commented: “Feels very much like par for the course with most landlords; unconscionable in every way possible.”
While a third user posted: “That landlord is disgusting. You cant be expected to clean every speck of dust in every nook and cranny. Don’t let him get away with it. Dispute it with the deposit company,”
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