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only hand the deposit back after everything is accounted for
How easy would it be to get that info? Does a landlord have the legal right to get council tax and bills status of their tenants?
Hovis-
The tenants have to give you proof that the accounts are closed before they get their deposit back.
They could try complaining about this but it’s a pretty reasonable precondition.
I suppose the problem becomes what happens if an agency handle that and make a pigs ear of it...I’d want that under my control for good reason.
Howard
Getting the money from the tenants would be hard as the deposit would have been handed back a while ago. You could just ask them for the money, but if they don't pony up, it's an expensive way to learn that you only hand the deposit back after everything is accounted for.
But in theory, if the bills are in the tenants' name, you could go back to the organisations and say 'it's not me'. Not sure what would happen if you do.