My landlord will not return my deposit/wants to make deductions from the deposit. What do I do?
Answer
Tenants pay a deposit to cover things like damage or unpaid rent when they move out. Your landlord should tell you if they want to make deductions after the tenancy ends. If they don't contact you about the deposit, you can raise a dispute directly with the deposit scheme.
If you agree with the deductions your landlord is claiming (or they aren't claiming any) then they have ten days to return the rest to you (once you have given your agreement).
If you can't reach an agreement with your landlord, there is a dispute, and you should check the process of the deposit scheme your deposit is protected with to see what your next steps are. The deposit will remain protected by the scheme until resolved.
The schemes are:
The Deposit Protection Service (DPS)
You should gather evidence - emails, photos, invoices - which can show that e.g. the damage was there before you moved in, that the property was cleaned before you moved out, and that you paid the rent that was due.
We have a factsheet on ending a tenancy available here.
We're campaigning for tenants to get the ability to transfer their deposits between tenancies which will make it harder for landlords to make unfair deductions. Join us.