Deposit

Most private landlords will require you to pay a deposit. The deposit acts as security against non-payment of rent or damage to the property. All landlords MUST by law, use a tenancy deposit protection (TDP) scheme to safeguard your money if your tenancy is an assured shorthold. This ensures you’ll get your deposit back at the end of the tenancy if you’re entitled to it. Check which TDP scheme the landlord uses. Most students have assured shorthold tenancy agreements. 

• Get a receipt for any money paid.
• Agree an inventory with your landlord before you move in.
• Ensure you note the condition of the property and any items.
• Take photographs of every room when you move in and when you leave.
• Keep a record of any repairs etc.
• Clean the property before the landlord checks it.
• Leave the property in the same condition as when you moved in.

• You owe rent.
• You have damaged the property – this could be a spill on the carpet or a mark on the wall where you’ve hung a picture.
• Something is lost or broken.
• Additional cleaning costs.

• To replace a worn carpet with a new one.
• To repair something they didn’t do when they should have – for example, a leak you told them about that got worse and caused damage.
• Decorate a whole room if there are one or two marks on a wall that have appeared while you have lived in the property.
• For reasonable wear and tear – i.e. deducting money from your deposit to repair things that have gradually worn out.