To get your deposit back in full, you need to do three things: return the property in the condition recorded on your check-in inventory, gather dated evidence that you did, and request the money in writing through your deposit protection scheme.
Cleaning is the part that trips most tenants up. The Tenancy Deposit Scheme reports year after year that cleaning is the single most common cause of deposit disputes, appearing in around half of all cases.
We clean end of tenancy properties across London every day, and 97% of our customers get their full deposit back. This guide covers the whole process, from two weeks before you hand back the keys to what to do if your landlord proposes deductions.
Why Deposits Get Withheld
Landlords can only deduct from your deposit for specific, evidenced reasons: cleaning below check-in standard, damage beyond fair wear and tear, unpaid rent, or missing items.
Of those, cleaning is the one you have the most control over. It is also the most commonly disputed, ahead of damage and redecoration.
| Deduction reason | How to prevent it |
|---|---|
| Cleaning below check-in standard | Clean to inventory standard, keep receipts and photos |
| Damage beyond fair wear and tear | Report repairs during the tenancy, fix minor damage before check-out |
| Unpaid rent or bills | Settle final balances and take meter readings on the day |
| Missing or broken items | Check the inventory item list, replace like for like |
Fair wear and tear cannot be charged to you. Worn carpet in a walkway or faded paint after two years of living somewhere is the landlord’s cost, not yours. Our guide to when a landlord can charge for cleaning covers the line between the two in detail.
Start With Your Check-In Inventory
Your check-in inventory is the baseline for everything. The check-out inspection compares the property against that document, not against a general idea of “clean”.
Dig it out before you plan anything. If the property was professionally cleaned at check-in, the report will usually say so, and that is the standard the inventory clerk expects at check-out.
If you never received a check-in inventory, tell your landlord or agent in writing now. Without one, they have a very weak case for any deduction, because a deposit scheme adjudicator has nothing to compare the check-out condition against.
Two Weeks Before You Move Out
A full deposit return is mostly won in the planning. Two weeks out, do the following:
- Re-read your tenancy agreement for any cleaning or carpet clauses
- Book your end of tenancy clean for after your belongings are out, not before
- Report any outstanding repairs in writing, so there is a record you flagged them
- Fix small damage yourself: fill picture hooks, replace blown bulbs, treat carpet stains early
- Confirm the check-out inspection date and ask to attend
Booking the clean for the day after you move out matters more than people think. Cleaners cannot reach skirting boards and cupboard interiors around stacked boxes, and clerks inspect empty properties.
Clean to Check-Out Standard
The property needs to match its check-in cleanliness, and inventory clerks check the areas most people miss: the inside of the oven, extractor filters, window tracks, skirting boards, grout and limescale.
You can hire a professional or do it yourself. Legally, no one can force you to pay for professional cleaning, but the standard stays the same either way. If you go the DIY route, budget a full day or more and follow our room-by-room end of tenancy cleaning checklist.
A professional clean in London costs from £189 for a studio, rising with property size. Our London price guide has the full breakdown.
Set against a typical London deposit of five weeks’ rent, often £2,000 or more, the clean is a small fraction of what it protects. One of our customers, Damiane, put it simply in their review: ‘I got my full deposit back after the end of tenancy clean Earth Friendly Cleaning did, with no cleaning issues flagged!’
Whoever cleans, get proof. A receipt from a cleaning company with a re-clean guarantee carries real weight in a dispute. If you cleaned yourself, keep product receipts and take thorough photos.
The Day You Hand Back the Keys
Before you lock the door for the last time:
- Photograph every room, plus close-ups of the oven interior, hob, bathroom tiles and window tracks
- Use your phone’s normal camera so the metadata records the date
- Take final meter readings and photograph those too
- Remove all rubbish and personal items, including from lofts, gardens and outdoor bins
- Return every key, fob and parking permit listed on the inventory
If you can attend the check-out inspection, do. You can point out entries on the check-in report on the spot, which resolves most disagreements before they ever become deductions.
How to Request Your Deposit Back
Ask for your deposit in writing as soon as the tenancy ends. An email to your landlord or letting agent is enough: confirm the tenancy end date, state that you have returned the keys, and request the full deposit.
Under the government’s deposit protection rules, your landlord must return the agreed amount within 10 days of you both agreeing the figure.
Your deposit should be held in one of three schemes: the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), the Deposit Protection Service (DPS) or mydeposits. If your deposit is in a custodial scheme, you can also start the repayment claim directly through the scheme’s website.
If your landlord never protected your deposit within 30 days of receiving it, they have broken the law. A court can order them to pay you compensation of one to three times the deposit amount, and they lose the right to make deductions through the scheme.
What If Your Landlord Proposes Deductions?
Do not accept a deduction you disagree with. Ask for an itemised breakdown with evidence, in writing, and compare each item against your check-in inventory and your move-out photos.
Cleaning deductions must reflect actual cost, not a penalty. A £400 charge for a light dusting will not survive adjudication.
If you cannot reach agreement, every scheme offers a free dispute resolution service. You submit your evidence, the landlord submits theirs, and an independent adjudicator decides. The disputed amount stays protected until it is resolved, and schemes consistently find in tenants’ favour where the landlord’s evidence is thin.
Our guide to challenging unfair cleaning charges walks through the dispute process step by step.
How Long Does It Take to Get Your Deposit Back?
Your landlord must return your deposit within 10 days of you both agreeing the amount. In practice, straightforward returns usually land within two weeks of the tenancy ending.
Disputes take longer. Scheme adjudication typically takes four to eight weeks from the point you submit evidence, so a clean check-out report is worth weeks of waiting as well as the money itself.
This is why we back every clean with a 48-hour re-clean guarantee: if the clerk flags anything, we return and fix it before it ever becomes a deduction. You can read how that works on our guarantee page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I politely ask for my deposit back?
Email your landlord or agent the day your tenancy ends. Keep it short and factual: confirm the end date and key return, request the full deposit, and ask them to respond within 10 days. A written request starts the clock and gives you evidence if you later need to raise a dispute.
Can my landlord keep my whole deposit for cleaning?
Almost never. Deductions must reflect the actual cost of returning the property to its check-in condition, with evidence. A full deposit withheld for cleaning alone would need an exceptional check-out report, and a deposit scheme adjudicator would expect itemised quotes or invoices to back it up.
Is it illegal for a landlord to not refund a deposit?
A landlord cannot simply keep your deposit. It must be protected in a government-approved scheme, deductions need evidence, and the undisputed balance must be returned within 10 days of agreement. If the deposit was never protected, courts can award you compensation of up to three times its value.
Do I have to pay for professional cleaning to get my deposit back?
No. Since the Tenant Fees Act 2019, landlords cannot require professional cleaning, only that the property matches its check-in cleanliness. In practice, most tenants hire professionals because a failed check-out costs more in deductions and delays. Our guide to end of tenancy cleaning laws covers your rights in full.
What evidence do I need for a deposit dispute?
Your check-in inventory, dated move-out photos of every room, cleaning receipts, meter readings and any written correspondence about repairs. Adjudicators decide on paper evidence alone, so dated photos of a clean oven or descaled bathroom regularly win disputes on their own.
Ready to hand back the keys with your deposit protected? Get your free quote or call us on 07383 435 879. Every clean comes with our 48-hour re-clean guarantee, and we cover every London borough including Fulham, Clapham and Battersea.
Last updated: 24 August 2026
