How to dispute a deposit deduction

Last updated: 24 July 2026 · 6 min read

If your deposit is protected in a scheme, challenging a deduction is free, decided on documents, and doesn’t involve a court. Most people don’t challenge — and a good share of those who do get the deduction reduced.

Two things to know before you start. The disputed amount is held by the scheme until it’s resolved, so you’re not chasing money your landlord already has. And the burden of proof sits with whoever is claiming it — not with you.

Step 01

Ask for an itemised breakdown

A lump sum — “£450 for cleaning and damage” — can’t be assessed and rarely survives. Ask, in writing, for each item separately with the cost claimed and the evidence behind it.

Please could you send an itemised breakdown of the proposed deductions? For each item I’d like the amount claimed, a receipt or quote for that amount, and the check-in record you’re relying on to show its original condition.

That one email often resolves it. Items that can’t be evidenced tend to disappear at this stage.

Step 02

Test each line against the rules

Take the items one at a time and ask:

Is it wear, or damage? Wear from normal living isn’t chargeable at all — see fair wear and tear explained.
Was it already like that? You can only be charged for deterioration from the recorded starting condition.
Is the amount apportioned? For a replacement you owe only the remaining life you used up, not the full price of a new one.
For cleaning — was it clean at check-in, and is there an invoice? Without both, cleaning claims usually fail.
Would a repair do? Often much cheaper than replacement.

Step 03

Reply with your own figure and the arithmetic

Don’t simply refuse — counter-propose. A reply that shows the calculation is far more persuasive than one that expresses disagreement, and it reads well later to an adjudicator.

On the carpet: it was already a year old at check-in and the tenancy ran five years, so on an eight-year expected life there were two years of life remaining. On a £600 replacement cost that’s £600 × (2 ÷ 8) = £150 rather than the full £600 claimed. I’m content to agree £150 on that item.

Agreeing the parts that are fair strengthens you on the parts that aren’t.

Step 04

Raise it with the scheme

If you can’t agree, ask your landlord or agent which scheme holds the deposit (TDS, DPS or MyDeposits) and raise a dispute through it. It’s free. An independent adjudicator reads both sides’ evidence and decides — there’s no hearing and no lawyers.

Don’t leave it. Schemes apply time limits after the tenancy ends, and there’s a fixed window to submit evidence once a dispute is opened. Check the current deadlines on your scheme’s own site as soon as you know there’s a disagreement — missing the evidence window is the most common self-inflicted loss.

Step 05

Submit evidence, not narrative

Adjudicators work from documents. What carries weight:

The signed check-in inventory with dated photographs
Dated check-out photographs, ideally from the same angles
The itemised claim and the receipts or quotes behind it
Your written correspondence, showing you engaged reasonably
Your own apportionment calculation

What doesn’t: how the landlord behaved, how stressful it’s been, or undated photographs. Keep it short, itemised and factual.

If your deposit was never protected

That’s a different and more serious matter. Deposits for assured shorthold tenancies must be placed in an approved scheme, and you must be given the prescribed information about it. If neither happened, you may have a claim in the county court for a multiple of the deposit, and it can affect the landlord’s ability to end the tenancy. Get advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice rather than relying on a guide.

Timing on the money

Once an amount is agreed, the deposit should be returned promptly — schemes work to a short fixed period, commonly ten days. Where part is disputed, the undisputed part can usually be released while the rest is held.

Build the evidence side of it.

CheckoutProof produces the timestamped, signed record schemes ask for, and calculates each item the way an adjudicator would — with the workings shown so you can paste them straight into your reply. First report free for tenants.

Check a deduction free →