How to get your tenancy deposit back in full

Where your deposit is now

If you rent privately in England or Wales, your landlord or letting agent must put your deposit in a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme within 30 days of receiving it. There are three:

• Deposit Protection Service (DPS)
• mydeposits
• Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS)

Within the same 30 days, the landlord must tell you which scheme holds it, how to get it back, why they might keep some of it and what to do if you disagree. Look for that paperwork, or an email from the scheme with your deposit ID. You'll need it at the end.

In England, assured periodic tenancies replaced assured shorthold tenancies on 1 May 2026. Your deposit still has to be protected in the same way. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own deposit schemes and rules.

What a landlord can and can't deduct

The deposit is security against you leaving the home in a worse state than you found it, or owing rent or bills. It isn't a fund for the next round of decorating.

The line between the two columns is fair wear and tear: the deterioration that comes from reasonable use and time. The Deposit Protection Service tells its adjudicators they must allow for it, and that they can't award a landlord the cost of making a home better than it was at the start, which it calls betterment. That includes expecting it back cleaner than it was let.

Wales and Scotland have their own laws on what landlords can charge. In Wales it is the Renting Homes (Fees, Discrimination etc.) (Wales) Act 2019, and in Scotland charges beyond rent and a deposit have long been unlawful under the Rent (Scotland) Act 1984. The detail differs, so check the guidance for where you live.

Before you move out

1. 1

   Find the check-in inventory

   This is the standard you're held to. Read it room by room, especially the kitchen and bathroom, and note anything that was already marked, stained or broken.

2. 2

   Fix what you broke

   Replace blown bulbs, re-hang a fallen curtain rail and fill small holes if your agreement allows it. A cheap repair now often costs less than a deduction later.

3. 3

   Clean to the inventory, not past it

   Work through our room-by-room checklist. Spend the time on the oven, limescale, inside cupboards and dust on skirting boards and sills.

4. 4

   Take your own photos

   After cleaning, photograph every room from the same angles as the inventory, plus close-ups of the oven, hob, shower, toilet and inside the fridge. Keep the files with their dates.

5. 5

   Keep your receipts

   If you paid for a clean, keep the invoice. It shows what was done and when.

6. 6

   Go to the check-out if you can

   Walking round with the clerk lets you answer questions on the spot and see what they note down.

Getting it back

After you leave, the landlord or agent proposes how much to return. Once you have both agreed the amount, the deposit must be returned within 10 days. If you can't reach your landlord at all, you can raise it with the scheme that holds your deposit.

If they propose a deduction, ask for it in writing, item by item, with the evidence: the check-in and check-out reports, photos, and quotes or invoices for the work. A deduction for "cleaning" with no breakdown is hard for them to defend.

If you disagree: the dispute service

Each scheme has a free dispute resolution service. You don't have to use it, and both you and the landlord have to agree to it. If you do, each side sends its evidence, an adjudicator reads it and decides how the deposit is split. The decision is final. While the dispute is open, the money stays protected in the scheme.

Adjudicators decide on the evidence, not on who argues hardest. The things that help a tenant are:

• A check-in inventory that shows the condition you inherited, especially if it was already worn or dirty.
• Your own dated photos from the day you left.
• How long you lived there and how many people lived with you. DPS adjudicators look at how long you lived there and how many people lived with you: a family home should show more wear than a flat with one person in it.
• A cleaning invoice or receipt, if you paid for one.
• Any messages where you reported a problem, such as damp or a broken extractor fan, during the tenancy.

If your deposit wasn't protected at all, the rules are different: you may be able to apply to the county court. Shelter and Citizens Advice give free advice on that.

Should you pay for a clean?

You don't have to, and in England a landlord can't make you. It is worth paying for when the deposit is large, the inventory shows a professionally cleaned home, or you don't have a spare day in the week you move.

A cleand end of tenancy clean is £25 an hour, including VAT, for the hours we recommend. For a two-bedroom, one-bathroom flat that is 5.5 hours, or £137.50, with the oven included. We aim for the standard letting agents expect. No cleaner can promise the outcome of a deposit decision, because that also depends on the inventory and on wear and tear.