withholding deposit

[lynsey w]

hi

I rented out my 1 bed flat to 1 woman and found out last month that 4npeople stayed there, none of which was the actual tenant. I only found out when they said they were leaving so I didn't put up a fight as didn't want HASSLE. i got the keys back and the flat is in a deplorable condition, filthy and unkempt. the tenant is demanding deposit back and im inclined to keep it for cleaning and redecoration but also because she breached her terms.

where do I stand?

thankyou

[Usernametaken]

Did you protect the deposit in an approved scheme?

[jpkeates]

You can't keep a deposit because you're inclined to.
The deposit is the tenant's money and you can claim against it as compensation for a loss beyond fair wear and tear.
You can't claim against it for breach of contract terms - only for the loss arising from that breach (four lots of wear and tear not one).

Calculate your losses and claim a deduction from the deposit accordingly via the organisation who you protected the deposit with.
They'll have a guide on how to do that.