How to: get your deposit back (all of it!)
Want to make sure you don't get short-changed when you move out of your rented place? Follow our guide and you'll stay in the landlord's good books.
Keep the place tidy
Show your landlord that you are a clean and respectable tenant. If you can establish that trust with your landlord, you’ll have a great tenancy.
Take photos before moving in
Do this, and you have proof in case of existing damage caused by the previous tenant. Your landlord might have missed it on the last inspection and mistakenly believed it to be your fault. You don’t want to pay for someone else’s mistake.
Get receipts for every single rent and bill payment
Unpaid rent or bills are one of the main reasons for deductions – even when you have paid. People forget, so make sure you keep proof of every penny you spend.
Make an inventory
It’s not unlikely that, especially in student accommodation, the odd bit of kitchen equipment will go missing. Make an inventory list and send it to your landlord. Then, when they come to check, they will find your room with everything you found in it, as you found it.
Take photos before you move out
Photos don’t lie, and photoshop isn’t all that good….
Include timestamps in the photos
It will be clear how much time has passed and how clean you have kept the property.
Dry your clothes outside or in a well-aired room
Not only does damp make you ill, but it also costs money. Avoid it whenever you can! Keep your house well ventilated, especially in those cold winter months.
Revise your contract
Know what you can and can't do before you do it. Don't end up paying for something that's printed on a piece of paper that you signed but didn't read. You'll have no room to argue.
Respect your neighbours
Having a great relationship with your neighbours is essential. The last thing you and your landlord want is a 2 a.m. call from an angry neighbour.
Find something dodgy? Report it!
Don’t leave anything to chance. Your landlord doesn’t live with you, so they won’t know if something broke by accident, it was old, or was already broken. Not unless you tell them straight away.
Get written proof
If you resolve a dispute with your landlord or are promised something, get it in writing. Having good written communication with your landlord is essential, so if there is a dispute, you have evidence on both sides.
Don’t always play host
As fun as it is to have friends round and enjoy a few drinks on the weekend, don’t become a party house. Don’t get a reputation for being the place everyone can crash and trash. Yes, you are paying, but while it’s only your home for a short time, it’s the landlord’s property forever.
Don’t be afraid to call your housemates out
If someone is damaging the property deliberately or through bad habits, tell them! Don’t assume that they will take the fall if something goes wrong. They might not.
...because this time it wasn’t you.