Recent Changes in the housing act mean the rules and regulations governing a tenant’s deposit have been tightened, this is to safeguard against unfair deductions made by the landlord.

The greatest decider in any dispute over a deposit is impartial, hard evidence whether it is written or photographic.
This means that if a tenant causes damage to a property the landlord must be able to prove that the property was in good condition at the start of the tenancy.
The only way for this to be proven is with an accurate and detailed independent inventory, which the tenant agreed at the beginning of their tenancy, with this in place a landlord can then fairly claim for any damage caused to their property.

Please Note:
Property owners may find it difficult to claim against a deposit refund if an independent inventory was not prepared at the tenancy outset.