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The most common causes of deposit return hold-ups

Wednesday, 17 August 2011 1:22 PM

Cleaning costs and unpaid rent are the main reasons why deposit money is withheld when a tenant moves out of a rented property, according to findings revealed today.

Tenancy deposit scheme MyDeposits reported that, of those landlords and agents who did keep some of the deposit back, 78 per cited having to pay for cleaning as the reason.

Unpaid rent was also a major cause for withholding the deposit.

Damage to property, furniture and carpets were other key reasons why tenants didn’t receive all of their money back.

Eddie Hooker, chief executive of MyDeposits, said: “Tenants can avoid having any of the deposit withheld by ensuring the property is clean, any damage is repaired, and the rent is paid up to the day they move out. But general wear and tear should also be taken into account by landlords and agents.

“This is the busiest time of year for deposit returns as students vacate properties for summer. It is important they meet with their landlord or agent when moving out, inspect the property together, and then come to an agreement over the return of the deposit."

MyDeposits has published a Wear and Tear Guide for Landlords, which points out a number of factors which must be taken into consideration when assessing wear and tear, including length of tenancy, number and age of tenants, quality of accommodation and whether alterations should be considered actual damage.

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