Hi
I am trying to understand the rules about returning a deposit. I have a tenant who has been smoking heavily in his room, spent about two weeks sleeping on the bed without a sheet and has been drinking the alcohol in the house that belonged to the landlord.
Does the landlord, who also lives in the house, have the right to withhold part of the deposit in order to have the room cleaned, the mattress cleaned and replenish the alcohol?
The tenant has used some sort of ';off-the-shelf'; cleaner which has masked the smell. He says he has cleaned the mattress with soap and water.
When does the deposit have to be repaid? Immediately or shortly after? how long is acceptable?
Does the landlord have the right to ask that the room is industrially cleaned? that the mattress is professionally cleaned? that the alcohol is replenished? The tenant has cleaned the room but it now smells of cleaner and the fear is that this is masking the smell of cigarettes which will resurface in a week or 2.