Just got to the bottom of the statutory declaration to make a claim from a deposit.
The tenant hasn’t responded.
Now Mydeposits want’s the declaration witnessed & signed by a solicitor all for a £200 deduction.
How much is that going to cost me?
It costs £5 and its standard practice.
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Thanks David,
Was hoping it was going to be a 5 minute job then make a start on the Christmas shopping 
Happy Christmas 
Will my ex-tenant also need to get his declaration witnessed by a solicitor if he chooses to accept or contest the repayment?
The statutory declaration is for when the tenant is not responding. If he responds then I think its a different process.
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Apparently it’s a two week deadline to get the signed document to them so I need to get it sorted out this week.
I have sent a message to local solicitor but not had a reply from them yet.
Have you used one of the online firms?
I did my guarantor advice for my limited company mortgage online, and that was fine. I picked a local solicitor that did them online too.
I don’t think the solicitor I used does statutory declarations online though.
At this time of year, I would call rather than messaging because they will be starting to break up for Christmas and if I message, there may be no one at the recieving end.
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I’ve only done it once. I walked into a local solicitors office and one of the Solicitors signed.
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A solicitor had emailed me yesterday but I didn’t notice it as I was looking for the firm & he used his email.
Had a call from them today & booked an appointment for tomorrow afternoon.
£5 cash as David said & they don’t do digital signing.
Had to go to the flat after work as all the sockets were off. Tenant had just tried using her new washing machine for the first time.
Turned out the waste pipe was blocked solid so water was soaking the socket & getting into the box thanks to a hole that had been knocked into it by whoever fitted it.
Previous tenant had left his old machine in the flat as it wasn’t working apparently although it seemed ok to me. I offered to dispose of it for him.
Now fixed with a generous helping of silicone sealant.
socket under the waste pipe , disaster waiting to happen…the waste pipe should be vertically longer with a swept bend and a trap to prevent smells from the drain . If this cannot be achieved then there is an adaptor for the sink trap that works well , but they do have to be cleaned once a year.
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It was like that when I moved in in 2005.
Did need cleaning yearly otherwise the push fit into the u bend would leak into the cupboard & onto the floor.
I’m surprised it still passed the EICR
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Should be moved in case of future leaks
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Who passed the installation with your e/l cert they need sacking
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He’s a self employed electrician who works mainly for estate agents doing repairs & check’s. Before that I rented the flat from a housing association who would of bought it from the council.
Been like that since I moved in.
I had the same scenario twice with an unresponsive tenant when I made a claim against the deposit. I went to a solicitor and they simply signed the stat-dec paper and they stamped it for free but I gave them ten pounds as a Thankyou
It’s one of the easiest process and it concludes the matter. However I would recommend copying and scanning the document prior to posting onto the DPS.
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I copied it & sent it via email. Just have to wait & see what happens.
Update:
No response from tenant so I’m going to get £200 back from the deposit
We write to inform you the tenant has failed to respond to the Statutory Declaration within the 14 calendar day period.
Therefore mydeposits will now release the deposit in accordance with the Statutory Declaration.
Should you be due any monies, we will release the deposit within five working days. Please allow a further five to seven working days for the payment to clear into your bank account.
If you have apportioned any monies to the tenant, and we do not currently hold their payment details, the scheme will hold these deposit monies until such time as the tenant makes contact with us to authorise release.
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Last Update,
Tenant has been in touch asking for his deposit. I thought Mydeposits had returned it when they paid me.
I sent him the link & information needed to claim his part of the deposit back & he told me today he’s waiting for it to go into his account.
Is it usual for a deposit scheme to hang on to a tenant’s money? I thought that’s what they were set up to stop.
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I am in same situation where tenant has not responded and MyDeposit said the statutory declaration will be available after the 14 day so I cant even see the form template. I tried messaging tenant by sending pic the damages she has done however she said if I send pic she will bloc and report me.
I have left and not chasing anymore, I wonder if mydeposit has send email. She wanted to get her deposit back first before leaving the house and I am now surprise she hasn’t responded. The tenant agreed to pay for overgrown front and back garden, scribble her kids did with non erasable crayon on the walls. She broke the washing machine, dishwasher(not using salt), Toilet seat, put bleach on toilet tap, never cleaned shower head and all bits out. I was not worried on washing machine but Dishwasher was from bosh and under warranty she kept using the machine even when heating element was gone. This is the worst tenant I had in my career as Landlord.
Please advice how much Statutory declaration cost.