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Read more articles in: Blog, Dispute Resolution, Lorraine Walker
5 May 2026
Moving out of your rented property should feel like a fresh start, but there might be one thing making it harder to cut your ties: your deposit.
Whether your landlord seems to be holding onto your deposit, taking deductions you do not expect, or has gone silent since your tenancy ended, you need to know what to do.
Moving properties is expensive enough, so knowing whether you can get your deposit back is important for offsetting these costs.
If you rented under an assured shorthold tenancy, your landlord is legally required to protect your deposit in a government-approved tenancy deposit protection (TDP) scheme within 30 days of receiving it.
This means that your money is not sitting in your landlord’s bank account, but is protected until you require it back.
Your deposit should be returned within 10 days of your tenancy ending, after you and your landlord have agreed on any deductions.
If there is a dispute over the value of the deposit, it will remain protected until the dispute is resolved.
Most delays come down to the repayment process not being formally started or there being a disagreement over deductions.
Landlords can make deductions for things like unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear and tear or missing items.
However, they cannot charge you for general wear or ageing fixtures that go beyond restoring the property to its original condition.
If your landlord hasn’t returned your deposit or has not even responded, you need to follow this process.
You need to start by formally asking for your deposit back through email or the deposit scheme portal.
Ask your landlord to confirm any deductions and provide a full breakdown with evidence, such as receipts and photos.
You need to have your own evidence to back your case if you disagree with the deductions.
The best documentation to have is:
This will also help you if the situation escalates and prove whether the deductions are justified.
If your landlord proposed deductions, you have to review them carefully.
Compare them against your inventory and evidence, explaining why something seems unreasonable.
Don’t forget to own up to any damage you know is your own fault and whether you agree with some of the deductions. This can help speed up the return of the undisputed amount, too.
It might be crickets after you have sent your email to your landlord, but you need to be persistent in your approach to getting your money back.
Send a polite follow-up confirming your original request and asking for a reply within a set timeframe.
Not everyone is able to reach an agreement.
You might have to raise a dispute through your tenancy deposit scheme.
This service is free and made to resolve disagreements without going to court.
You will usually have to submit your claim (with supporting evidence) and then your landlord is invited to respond.
An independent adjudicator will review the evidence from either side before deciding how the deposit should be distributed.
They will then issue the final decision within a few weeks, allowing the deposit to be paid out accordingly.
You might have found out that your landlord failed to protect your deposit or didn’t provide the required information to the scheme.
This is not the best news, knowing that your money has not been handled correctly, but it does make your case to raise the dispute greater.
You may be entitled to take legal action and claim compensation, sometimes up to three times the deposit amount.
Although this is where things get a little more complicated, so you should seek the help of a professional to protect your interests and get your claim right.
Most deposit disputes will be resolved through the scheme, but we are here to help when you need that extra bit of legal support.
Our team can review your tenancy documents, assess the strength of your case and prepare a clear claim backed by evidence.
We can communicate with your landlord on your behalf, advising on whether court action is appropriate if the dispute is hitting a wall.
We can also help you claim compensation when the rules have been breached and make sure you get back what is rightfully yours.
If you want further advice on managing a landlord dispute, contact our dispute resolution team.
