Here’s the ultimate Guide to Getting Your Tenancy Deposit Back for students moving into private housing for the first time.

As a tenant it’s very likely that you’ll have paid a holding deposit to your landlord or a letting agent acting on their behalf so that if you leave them needing to make repairs to their property or pay for cleaning they won’t be left out of pocket.

As the deposit is usually around a month’s rent you’ll want to do everything in your power to ensure you’re returned the full amount when your tenancy comes to an end. Here’s how you can do just that.

Before your tenancy

Rent from the reputable

While you should be able to trust that established, well-known letting agents can be trusted to play fair and follow the rules, if you’re dealing with an individual landlord it may be worth doing your own background checks. Can any former tenants give you references? Does the landlord have a registered office? While the law is committed to making sure you are returned the deposit you deserve, if you’re faced with a rogue landlord without any respect for the law you may be in store for disappointment.

Read the contract

Nobody enjoys reading the small print, especially when so much of it is what you’d accept, but if you don’t read what you’re signing you’ll only have yourself to blame when you discover you agreed to your landlord being able to retain half of your deposit to pay for a cleaner. Don’t let yourself be rushed into signing anything and seek advice if you have trouble understanding any of the clauses.

Inventory

When you move in you’ll be given an inventory detailing any current issues the property has. Check this thoroughly making amendments where you need to and even attaching photos as evidence of any existing defects if necessary. Make a photocopy of the amended inventory, have your landlord sign both and retain a copy of your records. As you’ll have read the contract thoroughly, you’ll be certain that you’ve agreed to leave the property in the state you found it in rather than ‘perfect condition’.

During your tenancy

Document any problems as they arise

If fixtures and fittings deteriorate during your tenancy through no fault of your own notify your landlord as quickly as possible. Follow up on any telephone conversations with an email, stating explicitly what happened so you have evidence to drawn on in future if necessary.

Look after your property

Instead of trying to cheat your way to getting 100% of your deposit back, simply take care of your property. Remove muddy shoes before walking over carpets, clean your oven regularly and don’t smoke indoors – don’t wait till you’re about to move out to start sorting out your mess.

At the end of your tenancy

Leave your property spotless

Make sure your property is at least as clean as you found it. If you’re not the best cleaner hiring one may be a worthwhile investment. Pay particular attention to places that are easy to overlook such as the seams of fridge doors.

Remove Everything

You might think your landlord would appreciate you leaving a six-pack in the fridge, but if you’ve agreed in the contract that you won’t leave any personal belongings behind you’d be best not leaving any personal belongings behind.

Agreements

You and your landlord must come to a mutual agreement about how much of your deposit will be returned. Once agreed they must pay it within 10 days. If you can’t come to an agreement you can use an Alternative Dispute Resolution to help you come to an agreement. Try to be realistic – if you know that your landlord will have to pay to return the property to the condition it was when you moved in you’re not going to get all your money back.

Some final points…

Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Your landlord is legally obligated to put your deposit into a protected government-authorised tenancy deposit scheme and provide you with a detailed breakdown of how much you’ve paid and which scheme they’re using. If your landlord fails to use an approved deposit scheme a court may order them to repay you up to three times the amount of their deposit.

Holding Deposit vs. Tenancy Deposit

A holding deposit is something you pay to a landlord for them to hold the property and take it off the market. It’s usually about a week’s rent and if you change your mind they will keep this as an expense – although if you fail their credit checks the law will regard the landlord as cancelling the contract. The holding deposit may go towards the tenancy deposit once you sign a tenancy agreement.

About the author: James Johnson

James Johnson works for Atlantis Property, a property company based in Reading.