If you're coming to France, DO NOT stay in UXCO residence - Part 2

I posted earlier about my issue with getting my deposit back from Baker Hill Student Residence owned by UXCO in Saint-Etienne, France, and here is the continuation. So, after fighting with I think the regional manager and providing needed evidence, I got my money more than a month and half after I left. I was living at that time in L'Atelier Student residence, also owned by UXCO in the same city. The semester was about to end and the second semester for me is in Italy. I sent a notice 1 month before the check-date as per the contract. The manager replied that I should replace some items from the kitchen and toilet with new ones before leaving (namely cutting board, frying pan, mop, and toilet brush). This wasn't mentioned in the contract or communicated by any means at the time of check-in. In addition, their website explicitly showed that kitchen equipment is provided for free. So, I replied that I'm not responsible for replacing any items that aren't damaged by my misuse and I should just clean them before leaving. The manager replied that these items will never be clean after my usage; she explained that the cutting board will have scratches that contain bacteria, the mop will have all the dirt from my room, and the toilet brush of course will never be clean after being used and claimed it wouldn't be hygienic for the next tenant to use them. That was completely ridiculous. Important note: this is one of the most, if not the most, expensive student residences in the city, so I wasn't willing to pay an extra cent for this nonsense. I replied that I use these things the proper way and clean them after each use, explaining that they are designed for extended use, not just few months. I insisted that I wouldn't replace anything that is not broken, so she sent my reply to the legal department who never replied. At the end, I left without replacing any of this shit except things that I actually damaged by mistake in the studio.

Morale of the story: FIGHT BACK when you're asked to pay money illegitimately. UXCO was simply trying to look hygienic for the new tenants with new stuff in the studio at my expense.

The thing is, they sent my deposit late AGAIN. According to the French law, the tenant is entitled 10% of the monthly rent for each month of delay in transferring the deposit. I sent emails to both Baker Hill and L'Atelier to claim the penalty they should pay me, but with no reply 😑. I'm now trying to escalate to the legal authorities to force them to pay.