Your landlord should return your deposit to you within 10 days of submitting your request, though certain factors may delay this.
It’s likely that your landlord will want to inspect the property once you have moved out to determine what, if anything, needs repairing or replacing.
Things like missing furniture or broken fixtures may be deducted from your deposit, but there are limits to what they can bill you for, like routine wear and tear.
Scuffs to paintwork or worn carpets are unavoidable and should be judged on an individual basis. If you have outstanding unpaid rent, your landlord will likely want to reclaim this from your deposit.
After you and your landlord have agreed on the amount of the deposit to be returned, they have 10 days to give it back. If you’re unable to agree on an amount, you may be able to contest unfair deductions. You can read more about this in our explainer on what your landlord can charge you for.
What happens if it takes longer than 10 days?
If your landlord takes longer than 10 days to return your deposit, you have a couple of options.
First, you should reach out to your landlord and ask about their progress. They may have a valid reason for the delay and be able to make payment shortly.
If your landlord proves unhelpful you can check directly with the tenancy deposit service that your money is protected with.
You should have received details about where your deposit is stored within 30 days of delivering your deposit to your landlord at the start of your tenancy, and/or when your tenancy was renewed.
There are only three potential companies that your deposit can legally be protected with, so if you didn’t receive details, it’s worth checking with each yourself. If your landlord did not use one of these services, you may be able to claim significant compensation.
The three licenced tenancy deposit services each let you search their system to find out if your deposit is protected with them.
Check your deposit is protected via the links below:
If your deposit was not protected, or if it was protected more than 30 days after you handed your deposit to your landlord, then you may be able to claim up to 3x your deposit amount from your landlord. Find out more about tenancy deposit claims in our simple guide.
