Thank you. I'm still quite averse to court action. First, there's a cost associated with instigating court action. Second, if I don't have his address, we cannot sue him anyway. Third, it's actually hard to prove because I cannot admit the smells in court! I have some pictures of dark areas and us cleaning, but he could also argue that it didn't smell when he left. I can't prove otherwise. It's basically our word against his. I could have taken the carpets and underlay to court, but honestly, they were so disgusting they went to the tip.

Things like the kitchen, they argue are fair wear and tear, and we fear that we may not win that one, because even though it was like new when they moved in, and trashed when they moved out, they were there 13 years and some people have a weird idea of how long things should last. The law is often on the side of the tenants.