OT: Lease up, moving out of council unit.

[R D S]

Has anyone in the group any experience of leaving a council unit with regard to getting their deposit refuned?

We are about to vacate a unit we have rented from the Council via Capita for the last 5 years.

We haven't done anything to the detriment of the place but they will be sending someone around to check and if what I hear is correct they are a PIA for refunding deposits.

Reason I ask is that I was going to leave things in which I have added such as a £1500 heater and 3 phase electrics and repaint the floor but if they are likely to try to screw me I will take anything of mine out which is worth anything and leave the place as is.

Cheers, Rick

[Pete Verdon]

I reckon this sort of thing is going to vary between councils. Some are probably a pain in the arse, others might just be happy the place is still in reasonable nick and it goes through on the nod.

I don't have any experience myself, I'm afraid.

Pete

[Tournifreak]

Dare I ask why you've added 3 phase electrics in a flat? What have you been doing in there? Induction motors? Furnaces? Lots and lots of lights for plant propogation?

Curiously, Jon.

[Andy Burns]

Why do you assume unit =3D flat? How many flats do you know with painted floors?

[Tournifreak]

Ah yes, must learn to read...

[chrisj.doran]

Not Council-specific, but when we vacated an office we had to restore it exactly as it was. The name of the game is "dilapidations". We had to remove all partitioning, a kitchen that cost =A36,000, power, telephone and network cabling that was run round the partitions, and window blinds (we could have had them cleaned, but it was cheaper to just remove them). We also had to redecorate and clean the carpet, though we could have ripped it up and revarnished the floor. We called in an expert who explained you _always_ have to redecorate even if you only did it a month ago, but may be able to claim a refund if the landlord doesn't re-let within a year or so, as then it'll have to be done again.

If we'd managed to find someone to follow us immediately on the lease, we'd probably have been able to come to a private arrangement. As it was, we had to pay someone to do the deconstruction. They said they do this kind of stupid thing all the time. They were carefully piling up all the partition bits, probably to put them up elsewhere. Head office, who had expected to actually be _paid_ for the improvements, were somewhat dischuffed, as they'd expected to make a profit on downsizing.

I went back a bit later. The new occupants have installed partitioning and a kitchen.

Chris