Landlord Won't Return Your Deposit? Your Rights and the Deposit Schemes (UK)

Your tenancy ends, and weeks later your deposit still has not arrived — or has been slashed for "wear and tear". In England and Wales, the rules are firmly on a tenant's side, and there is a free dispute service. Here is how to get your money back.

Your deposit must be protected

For an assured shorthold tenancy, your landlord or agent must put your deposit in a government-approved scheme (TDP) within 30 days and give you the "prescribed information". The schemes are TDS, DPS and mydeposits. If they failed to protect it, you can claim 1 to 3 times the deposit in compensation through the courts — and they may be unable to evict you via a section 21 notice.

What can — and cannot — be deducted

• Allowed: genuine damage beyond fair wear and tear, unpaid rent, cleaning to the standard at move-in, missing items.
• Not allowed: normal wear and tear (worn carpet, faded paint), pre-existing issues, or "betterment" (charging you to upgrade rather than restore).

Your check-in inventory and dated photos from the start and end of the tenancy are the decisive evidence.

The free dispute process

1. Ask for your deposit back in writing, with a breakdown of any deductions you dispute.
2. If you cannot agree, raise a dispute with the scheme's free adjudication service. The disputed amount is held until they decide.
3. The adjudicator reviews the evidence and makes a binding decision — landlords must justify every deduction with proof.

A deposit-return letter template

Dear [Landlord/Agent],

Re: Deposit return — [property address]

My tenancy ended on [date]. Please return my deposit of £[amount] in full. I do
not accept the proposed deductions for [list], which appear to be fair wear and
tear / unevidenced / betterment. Please confirm which scheme protected my deposit
and provide dated evidence for any deduction.

If we cannot agree within 14 days, I will raise a formal dispute with the deposit
scheme's adjudication service.

Yours faithfully,
[Your name and contact details]

Landlords often propose deductions hoping tenants will not push back. Insist on evidence, lean on your inventory, and use the free adjudication — tenants win these disputes regularly.