need some advice

worried.about.

Hi everyone,

I'm in a bit of a pickle and need some advice, hope that's ok...

I moved into an owner occupied property last year, and moved out recently. The landlord is someone I got to know through a friend. I paid a deposit and a week later paid the first months rent. I got no receipt (stupid, I know, but since it was via a friend... it's no excuse). The friend did give him the deposit as I was not around at the time. I never signed a lease, nor did he give me a rent book. He is registered with the PRTB because I've seen letters from them come to the house in his name.

The landlord didn't stay there too often. He has been there the last few days. One night before I left I heard him come in late and make a fair bit of noise, it sounded like a smash or something. I thought nothing of it, thought he was drunk.

Anyway, he said a while ago that I had not paid a deposit, and tbh I was not concentrating on it at the time so said nothing. I paid my rent every month by lodging money into his personal account, and i put an identifier in the narrative bit so it comes up on his statement as rent from me.

He has just contacted me to say that he found a hole in the glass door of the washing machine, and that it'll need to be replaced. Now, I know I did not do it as I did a wash 2 days before I left and it was fine. I had barely been in the room the machine is in since I did that wash. And lets be honest here, those washing machine things are really thick, you'd have to fairly smash something on them to break it. Just dropping something like a cup or a mug wouldn't do it.

I actually didn't take the call but I have the message on my phone.

I know I paid a deposit and have the backing of our mutual friend (tbh she's more of a work acquaintance of his), even though he's disputing it. I am not going to shell out more money for something I did not break.

Basically what I'm asking is, what can he do now? Presumably he can try and get me to pay, but how? I'm perfectly happy to let him keep my deposit as i had kinda written it off anyway and was doing so so i didn't cause any agro.

Any help from anyone would be appreciated.

havana

If he registered your tenancy with the PRTB then you would have recieved a letter from them addressed to you.

worried.about.

No, I never received a letter address to me, but I definitely saw letters from them to him- does that mean he's registered but didn't declare me as a tenant? Does that have a negative effect on me?

jelly&icecream

If the property is owner occupied then it doesn't need to be registered with the prtb.

Victor

I'd ignore the washing machine door.

Go along with the friend to get the deposit.

billybigunz

Yeah why is he registered with the PTRB? I'd turn up looknig for your deposit and be as persuasive as possible.