thought some good news might be in order. Can’t find original post. Issued S21 as tenant disrespected flat ref cleanliness and caused damp/condensation etc. cost me around £2.6k to put right. Put in lengthy claim for deposit and got the whole lot awarded to me. Still significant shortfall but I will take the hit. TDS said damage beyond wear and tear. One thing worth noting, you must have an independent person say for example, washing machine broken beyond repair not just your word, even tho thought my photos were good enough, and if a claim against condensation damage a third party, cd be a builder or someone put in writing. evidence and time stamped photos always , time stamp is critical. On iphone look at i on the photo itself and time/date displayed so screen prt time stamp.
when liaisng with tenant put things in an email rather than whatsapp. send leaflets from NRLA to tenants on maintenance, damp etc. provide a dehumidifier in ALL flats. Just cover yourself at start of tenancy.
Linda26
Congrats on your victory in successfully serving a S21 and with the deposit tribunal. Also thanks for sharing your advice on getting an independent person to support your claim. I am sure many of us will benefit from that advice. You made an interesting point about making use of email over WhatsApp. In the soon to be Renters Rights Bill, WhatsApp will be an acceptable form of communication as notices can be served by any written means.
Hope you have better luck with the next tenant…
Congrats, but from financial point of view, was it worth it? How much was deposit, how much to get in independent people, etc? Taking into account all the costs of doing it, did you actually get any financial benefit, or is it more the principle of the thing?
Yes, one bed. Got the £1500 deposit.
I didnt get independent people to validate the washer dryer and glass shower screen so TDS ignored my request for monies for those. Everything else I had receipts. Cleaning, decoration, supplies, curtains, mattress , hob. Wall heater
So def worth it for lots of reasons 
Well done Linda, and thanks for posting. Life is getting really difficult for good landlords especially as the media continually portrays all landlords as money grabbing and evil and all tenants as paragons of virtue who never ill treat our properties and always pay extortionate rents on time.