How do I get my rental deposit back?

Deposit disputes are evidence contests. Adjudicators compare the state at the start against the state at the end, and fair wear and tear is not deductible. Without photographs from the start, the landlord's account is the only account.

What you'll need

• The inventory and tenancy agreement
• Camera or phone
• Cleaning materials (optional)

Step by step

1. Photograph everything on the day you move in.Every room, every existing mark, inside appliances, meter readings. Timestamped. This is what decides a dispute two years later.
2. Check and annotate the inventory carefully.Add anything missing, note existing damage, and return it within the stated period. An unchallenged inventory is taken as accepted.
3. Report problems in writing during the tenancy.It creates a record that the issue is pre-existing or the landlord's responsibility rather than damage you caused.
4. Know the difference between damage and fair wear and tear.Worn carpet in a hallway after three years is wear and tear. A burn in it is damage. Landlords cannot charge for the former.
5. Clean thoroughly before leaving, especially the oven.Cleaning is the most common single deduction and the easiest to avoid. The oven, the extractor and the bathroom account for most of it.
6. Photograph everything again on the last day.Same rooms, same angles, plus final meter readings. Two matched sets of photographs are very hard to argue with.
7. Attend the check-out inspection if you can.You can address concerns on the spot rather than discovering them in a written deduction weeks later.
8. Use the deposit protection dispute service if needed.In many countries deposits must be held in a protection scheme with free adjudication. It is impartial and costs nothing to use.

Tips

• Getting the oven professionally cleaned is often cheaper than the deduction a landlord would apply for it, and it removes the most common argument entirely.
• Do not agree to a deduction you disagree with just to speed things up. Adjudication is free and the burden of proof is generally on the landlord.
• Keep the tenancy agreement, inventory, correspondence and photographs together in one folder from day one.

Common mistakes

• Not photographing on move-in day — Without a starting record, every existing mark can be attributed to you and there is nothing to counter it with.
• Accepting deductions for fair wear and tear — Normal deterioration from ordinary use is not deductible. Landlords cannot charge to renew items you simply used.
• Leaving without a final meter reading — You can be billed for the next occupant's usage, and it is difficult to correct after the fact.

Questions people ask