London, two bedroom flat by Harrods Knightsbridge; CENTRAL LONDON

I Hans Place, flat 3 is a good location and the flat is large and has good natural lighting. That’s it on the positive side. The kitchen is like a galley on the smallest of sailboats and very poorly equipped. The sheets, towels, curtains, and upholstery, and carpets are threadbare. Everything is about to fall apart. To get hot water in the kitchen you have to run it full blast and risk getting burned. The window above the bathtub won’t stay shut. The ceiling and walls drop chipped paint almost daily. We left the flat sparkling clean and she alleges she had to put in 20 something hours to clean it and would not refund our full deposit.

Referring to LONDON listing # 109653: I booked this apartment on October 18, 2017, for a period of four months starting September 1st, 2018. I was asked to make a deposit to secure the reservation (I was not offered to sign a contract). 3 weeks ago, I received a message from the tenant informing me that the apartment was no longer available. She did reimburse the deposit, but not the entire sum: I paid an amount of £990 (1320 CHF Swiss francs including the bank fees for the transfer, at the exchange rate of October 2017), and received only £973 back (1249 CHF). The sum may be not very large, but I still find this unacceptable, considering the lack of respect reflected by this late cancellation, and also the trouble I've been through in trying to find another apartment in a few weeks time for me and my children. The least she could do is not just reimburse the totally of the deposit but also the (expensive) bank fees that I had to pay when making the deposit. She has not responded to my message. (August 27, 2018) RESPONSE from lister: I am sorry about the rate of exchange but i did return exactly the amount that was credited into my account L 994 in October. The difference is due to bank commissions and difference over the months of the rate of exchange with the Swiss frank. I did inform you one month in advance regarding the fact that the flat will not be available for reasons beyond my control. You have also admited that for your son´s school it was not a good option being far away. You have also informed me in a matter of days, while I was providing alternative options that you had found a smaller flat at a lesser price, more suitable to your recent situation, your husband finally only visiting, and close to your child´s school. in the Bloomsbury area, where Real Estate and therefor rentals is more affordable. At the end of the day it did work out fine for you .