rented property - not getting full deposit back

We had similar when we moved out of our flat, although as we moved around Christmas and had been warned that letting agencies would insist on having the place deep cleaned if you don't happen to use their preferred supplier and then don't tell you who their preferred supplier is, we didn't get it cleaned, although we gave it a good clean ourselves.

They pointed out various bits of damage, but fortunately when we'd moved in we had gone through the inventory ourselves and noted any damage which already existed and sent it to them, so were able to prove that we hadn't done the damage they were complaining about.

In the end, we just had to pay for the cleaning, and I

We had similar when we moved out of our flat, although as we moved around Christmas and had been warned that letting agencies would insist on having the place deep cleaned if you don't happen to use their preferred supplier and then don't tell you who their preferred supplier is, we didn't get it cleaned, although we gave it a good clean ourselves.

They pointed out various bits of damage, but fortunately when we'd moved in we had gone through the inventory ourselves and noted any damage which already existed and sent it to them, so were able to prove that we hadn't done the damage they were complaining about.

In the end, we just had to pay for the cleaning, and I was

I had a similar situation with a hideous woman who ran an agency in Exeter. She inspected our oven THREE TIMES because she said it didn't meet "her" standards of clean. It got so bad that I ended up ringing up the landlord and explaining the situation. He was very understanding and "had a word". I've never yet failed to get my full deposit back!

See what the agency come back with and take it from there.

We had similar when we moved out of our flat, although as we moved around Christmas and had been warned that letting agencies would insist on having the place deep cleaned if you don't happen to use their preferred supplier and then don't tell you who their preferred supplier is, we didn't get it cleaned, although we gave it a good clean ourselves.

They pointed out various bits of damage, but fortunately when we'd moved in we had gone through the inventory ourselves and noted any damage which already existed and sent it to them, so were able to prove that we hadn't done the damage they were complaining about.

In the end, we just had to pay for the cleaning,

We had similar when we moved out of our flat, although as we moved around Christmas and had been warned that letting agencies would insist on having the place deep cleaned if you don't happen to use their preferred supplier and then don't tell you who their preferred supplier is, we didn't get it cleaned, although we gave it a good clean ourselves.

They pointed out various bits of damage, but fortunately when we'd moved in we had gone through the inventory ourselves and noted any damage which already existed and sent it to them, so were able to prove that we hadn't done the damage they were complaining about.

In the end, we just had to pay for the cleaning, which

We had similar when we moved out of our flat, although as we moved around Christmas and had been warned that letting agencies would insist on having the place deep cleaned if you don't happen to use their preferred supplier and then don't tell you who their preferred supplier is, we didn't get it cleaned, although we gave it a good clean ourselves.

They pointed out various bits of damage, but fortunately when we'd moved in we had gone through the inventory ourselves and noted any damage which already existed and sent it to them, so were able to prove that we hadn't done the damage they were complaining about.

In the end, we just had to pay for the cleaning, which if

We had similar when we moved out of our flat, although as we moved around Christmas and had been warned that letting agencies would insist on having the place deep cleaned if you don't happen to use their preferred supplier and then don't tell you who their preferred supplier is, we didn't get it cleaned, although we gave it a good clean ourselves.

They pointed out various bits of damage, but fortunately when we'd moved in we had gone through the inventory ourselves and noted any damage which already existed and sent it to them, so were able to prove that we hadn't done the damage they were complaining about.

In the end, we just had to pay for the cleaning, which if we'd done

We had similar when we moved out of our flat, although as we moved around Christmas and had been warned that letting agencies would insist on having the place deep cleaned if you don't happen to use their preferred supplier and then don't tell you who their preferred supplier is, we didn't get it cleaned, although we gave it a good clean ourselves.

They pointed out various bits of damage, but fortunately when we'd moved in we had gone through the inventory ourselves and noted any damage which already existed and sent it to them, so were able to prove that we hadn't done the damage they were complaining about.

In the end, we just had to pay for the cleaning, which if we'd done what

We had similar when we moved out of our flat, although as we moved around Christmas and had been warned that letting agencies would insist on having the place deep cleaned if you don't happen to use their preferred supplier and then don't tell you who their preferred supplier is, we didn't get it cleaned, although we gave it a good clean ourselves.

They pointed out various bits of damage, but fortunately when we'd moved in we had gone through the inventory ourselves and noted any damage which already existed and sent it to them, so were able to prove that we hadn't done the damage they were complaining about.

In the end, we just had to pay for the cleaning, which if we'd done what they

We had similar when we moved out of our flat, although as we moved around Christmas and had been warned that letting agencies would insist on having the place deep cleaned if you don't happen to use their preferred supplier and then don't tell you who their preferred supplier is, we didn't get it cleaned, although we gave it a good clean ourselves.

They pointed out various bits of damage, but fortunately when we'd moved in we had gone through the inventory ourselves and noted any damage which already existed and sent it to them, so were able to prove that we hadn't done the damage they were complaining about.

In the end, we just had to pay for the cleaning, which if we'd done what they wanted

We had similar when we moved out of our flat, although as we moved around Christmas and had been warned that letting agencies would insist on having the place deep cleaned if you don't happen to use their preferred supplier and then don't tell you who their preferred supplier is, we didn't get it cleaned, although we gave it a good clean ourselves.

They pointed out various bits of damage, but fortunately when we'd moved in we had gone through the inventory ourselves and noted any damage which already existed and sent it to them, so were able to prove that we hadn't done the damage they were complaining about.

In the end, we just had to pay for the cleaning, which if we'd done what they wanted we'd have had to pay

We had similar when we moved out of our flat, although as we moved around Christmas and had been warned that letting agencies would insist on having the place deep cleaned if you don't happen to use their preferred supplier and then don't tell you who their preferred supplier is, we didn't get it cleaned, although we gave it a good clean ourselves.

They pointed out various bits of damage, but fortunately when we'd moved in we had gone through the inventory ourselves and noted any damage which already existed and sent it to them, so were able to prove that we hadn't done the damage they were complaining about.

In the end, we just had to pay for the cleaning, which if we'd done what they wanted we'd have had to

We had similar when we moved out of our flat, although as we moved around Christmas and had been warned that letting agencies would insist on having the place deep cleaned if you don't happen to use their preferred supplier and then don't tell you who their preferred supplier is, we didn't get it cleaned, although we gave it a good clean ourselves.

They pointed out various bits of damage, but fortunately when we'd moved in we had gone through the inventory ourselves and noted any damage which already existed and sent it to them, so were able to prove that we hadn't done the damage they were complaining about.

In the end, we just had to pay for the cleaning, which if we'd done what they wanted we'd have had to pay anyway,

We had similar when we moved out of our flat, although as we moved around Christmas and had been warned that letting agencies would insist on having the place deep cleaned if you don't happen to use their preferred supplier and then don't tell you who their preferred supplier is, we didn't get it cleaned, although we gave it a good clean ourselves.

They pointed out various bits of damage, but fortunately when we'd moved in we had gone through the inventory ourselves and noted any damage which already existed and sent it to them, so were able to prove that we hadn't done the damage they were complaining about.

In the end, we just had to pay for the cleaning, which if we'd done what they wanted we'd have had to pay anyway, possibly

What the hell happened there?! Sorry everyone...

Actually, I don't think I've ever heard of someone getting their full deposit back after renting before? I don't think it matters what/how you clean, they will find some reason to hold a portion back.

I would enter a rental agreement now, fully expecting not to get my deposit back. Then anything I did get back would be a bonus.

I know what you mean but part of me thinks, hang on, WTF? Why should it be like that? Why should we shrug it off as inevitable?

I did enter into this assuming we wouldn't see our entire deposit back but nothing prepared me for how arsey they were with me, just rude and unprofessional.

I think a lot of landlords regard the deposit as a sort of bonus income - it's disgraceful. That said, the flat I rented in London the landlord inspected himself when we moved out, and we got the full deposit back with no problems.

Definitely not saying it's right. As Sophie says, it's disgraceful. But unfortauntely seems to be more and more the norm nowdays.

I think you have to be very careful. Of course they are gonna try and keep some of your money - they're greedy.

We had a tiny bit of dust on one of our skirting bords which our last letting agent looked very judemental about. I then reminded her that if they hadn't bullied/harrased us into letting loads of potential buyers look at the house, then perhaps we may have had more time to clean.

I got all my deposit back

There's that new system now, that helps you recover your deposit isn't there? Was it since april last year? Not sure what areas it covers but I think it was done to protect renters from people like that.

Really?!? H and I have only rented once but we got our full deposit back and I wouldn't have expected anything less. We spent a full day cleaning before we vacated the property and our letting agent even emailed H to thank us for "leaving the property so nice". Our full deposit was then back in our account within a week.

I don't see how agencies can withold a portion of the deposit without a good reason. In this case our deposit was over a grand so we would have been in big trouble financially had we not got it back.

I've not met or contacted he landlord so I'm going to assume they are actually decent folk. I'll wait to see what the letting agents people say. They were just so superior ("I suppose it's down to a difference in standards" !!), I wonder if they think they need to retain deposit in order to look like they're actually providing a service of some sort.

I did concede that the carpet will need cleaned but I'll be figged if that costs them £600.

When I took back the house following my tenants leaving I had to withh old sme of the rent. Basically they had made a right song and dance about the state of the gardens, so I got a gardener in on the understanding that they would be responsible for the gardens during the tenancy. They did nothing with the gardens at all for a whole year (apart from cutting the grass) and then were really put out when I wanted my gardeners fees back when they moved out!

I guess it swings both ways, and I think I had really bad tenants in that respect. I totally expected to pay all the deposit back, but I don't see why I should have had to pay to have the garden sorted twice! Hey ho they are gone now and I have all the time in the world to sort out the garden lol (sorry - rant!)

I didn't realise people have had so many problems with getting deposits back either.

So I can kiss goodbye to our £900 when the letting agent sees the iron burn on the carpet then?

I have had this from the othe side - our letting agent was managing the property we rent out, and inspected the property with a representative from the company who had rented it.

They emailed us to say the place was spotless, and it was anything but. H and I spent best part of a day cleaning the whole place it was so bad. Our tenants got their whole deposit back and I haven't got a leg to stand on as I wasn't at the inspection.

Needless to say, we are not employing letting agents to manage again - they were a shambles.

ETA - our first tenants left it in a pristine condition and I had no problem letting them have their full deposit back

maybe not £900 but if I were the landlord I would probably look at replacing the carpet depending on the damage. sorry.

I totally understand. The thing is, we're not unreasonable people. I'm fully prepared to stump up if I think we're in the wrong. I guess I'm almost more offended by the way they were with me. And I feel like they're trying to pull a fast one, definitely.

Really? I can't remember the last time I heard of anyone having ant of their deposit withheld. I've lived in rented accomodation for most of my adult life, and the last time I had a deposit even partially withheld was 1995!

A lot of our friends have recently moved from rented flats to their first purchased property, and no-one has had any trouble getting their full deposit back.

We also gave our tenants their full deposit back when they moved out of the flat we own (TBH, I thought H was being a bit generous there as there was definite damage to the living room carpet and the place was really dirty, but hey ho!)

I think you are very much more than reasonable - I wish our last tenants had paid a cleaning company to do a deep clean before they moved out - I would have been over the moon.

Whenever I've rented the only times I've ever got my full deposit back was when I reneted directly from the landlord.

Going through agencies just meant extra fees here and there and I never got a full deposit back.

I would always look for a private landlord now over an agency.

There are 'rules' about what LL / LA can legally deduct from deposits,

Check on here for more info and help

I think there must be a culture within letting agencies where they believe that landlords wish to retain as much of the deposit as possible.

We have our agents sorted now but the first three tenants we had move from our properties all had massive retentions on their deposits for what we would call minor wear and tear issues. We made sure that the work was done in the most cost efficient way and got the agency to release the remaining deposit that they had incorrectly witheld.

TBH, the agents were incredulous that we wanted to do this but for us, running a reputable business means doing things properly. This involves the tenant fullfilling their obligations and in return, we are fair and fulfill ours.