Before moving into your student house, you will be required to put down a deposit. This deposit is essentially a way of assuring your landlord or letting agency that if anything is broken, damaged or stained – they have guaranteed funds in place to fix it, it also acts as a security against non-payment of rent.
Without this deposit, it’s likely that there would be a massively increased number of financial disputes between landlords and students.
So many students miss out on getting their full housing deposit due to completely preventable reasons. In this blog post, we’ll cover some of the most common (and easily prevented!) reasons students don’t get their full deposit back – with tips on ensuring you get yours.
Make Sure You Have an Inventory (and read it!)
In order to avoid disputes between yourself and your landlord or letting agency at the end of your tenancy, it is best to have a written inventory made up when you move in.
This is a list of all the furniture fittings and items provided within your home and their current condition, it is almost always provided by your landlord or letting agency.
Before you sign the inventory, make sure you read it to ensure it is correct, any mistakes could mean you get charged for nothing at the end of your tenancy. If your landlord doesn’t provide tenants with an inventory, you should write one up yourself and ask them to sign it.
Repair and Replace
At the end of your tenancy, the landlord or letting agent will assess the property for damage and review this initial inventory of items in the house to highlight any that are missing. Money from your deposit will be used to make these repairs and replace these items.
If you leave the replacements and repairs to be carried out by the landlord– they will be substantially more expensive. Repairing and replacing as you go along (even if its just a broken plate) will save you money at the end of the year.
Don’t Let Mould Take a Hold Of Your Deposit
Having damp and mould professionally removed is very expensive, dependant on the severity – a full house can cost up to £1,000. Not only that, but mould can cause you health problems, particularly if you suffer from asthma. Follow these simple steps to ensuring mould doesn’t take a hold on your deposit:
- Make sure your extractor fan is running whilst cooking – if you don’t have one, open a window instead.
- Similarly, once you’ve finished taking a shower or having a bath, open a window and shut the bathroom door to stop condensation forming elsewhere.
- Clean your carpets regularly – any spilt food or drink should be cleaned immediately to prevent stains as well as mould.
- If you do spot mould, treat it with mould remover before it becomes a problem.
- Be sure to open the window if you are hanging wet clothes inside to dry.
Get Your Rubber Gloves On
This might sound like common sense, but regular cleaning of the home will make it less prone to damage, rodents, mould, stains, dust and everything else that will help you lose your deposit. Creating and sticking by a cleaning rota will help you stay on top of dirt and dust before it becomes a problem.
Before you move out – give the house a deep clean, be sure to cover every room top to bottom. If you are really stuck, some cleaning companies do provide an ‘end of tenancy’ cleaning service for students.
On top of this - make sure you don’t commit these common student sins when leaving that cause them to lose some of their deposit:
- Don’t leave the fridge and freezer full of food – take it home with you.
- Be sure to take out any rubbish for collection. If you miss your collection date, take it to the local recycling and refuse centre.
- Give your oven a deep clean – this task is made much easier with frequent cleaning after use throughout the year!
- Don’t leave rubbish out in your front garden.
- Be sure to lock the property when you leave – the last thing you’d want is all your hard work to go to waste if somebody else got in and made a mess.
- Watch our video below for more tips on how to get your deposit back
Enjoy Getting Your Full Deposit Back!
Whilst many students may feel like their landlord or letting agency is out to get them – we’re not. The cost of professional cleaners we have to hire is significantly more than doing it yourself. Keep your property clean and tidy, replace anything you break and enjoy your full deposit back at the end of your tenancy
If you have any worries or queries about your deposit during your tenancy with Digs, please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 0117 930 8750 or visit our website for more information.
