Lesson 8
Disputing a Deposit with an Assistant
Bring the course to one real problem: brief an assistant on a deposit dispute, check its draft, keep your details safe and know the route if the landlord says no.
Maya and Jonah’s deposit
Maya and Jonah have just moved out of a flat in Bristol, in England. Their landlord emails to say he will keep £420 of their £1,400 deposit, for cleaning and a stained living-room carpet. They left the flat clean, and they are sure the stain was there when they moved in.
Maya has four documents: the check-in inventory with photos, the check-out report, the tenancy agreement and the landlord’s email. She wants two things: a clear, firm reply to the landlord, and to know what to do if he doesn’t agree.
This is exactly the kind of job an assistant is good for, and exactly the kind where its failures cost real money. Work through it with her.