OiYOi

Student guide

Get your deposit back

Lots of people lose a few hundred pounds from their deposit and let it go because the process sounds like a hassle. But it's free, and the burden of proof is on the landlord: they have to show the deductions are fair, not you that you didn't damage anything.

How long
A dispute usually takes a few weeks; one evening is enough to pull your evidence together
What you need
Your deposit is in a government-approved protection scheme (see "Deposits: 5 weeks max, protected within 30 days"); photos or video from move-in make your case much stronger
What you get
An independent adjudicator decides on the disputed part of your deposit, and whatever you win comes straight back to you

Probably applies too if you're in private student accommodation whose landlord hasn't signed up to the National Code – check which kind of tenancy you have in "What kind of tenancy have you actually signed?".

Three steps

  1. Ask for a list in writing. Email the landlord for an itemised breakdown: what each deduction is for, how much, and on what basis. A lot of flimsy charges quietly shrink at this stage.
  2. Can't agree? Use the deposit scheme's free dispute service. Whichever scheme holds your deposit (DPS / TDS / mydeposits), raise a dispute on its website and send in your evidence: move-in photos and video, the inventory, your emails.
  3. Wait for the decision. Until it's decided, the disputed amount is held by the scheme, not the landlord – so they can't spend it first.

Is there a deadline?

GOV.UK says only this: there "may be a time limit" for raising a dispute, so contact the scheme as soon as possible – it doesn't publish a fixed number of days. So open the dispute first; you can add evidence as you go. Don't wait until you've "got enough evidence".

Don't treat "30 days" as that deadline. That 30 days is how long the landlord has to protect your deposit after receiving it (see "Deposits: 5 weeks max, protected within 30 days"), and it has nothing to do with when you raise a dispute. Every 30 days in the deposit rules is an obligation on the landlord; for tenants raising a dispute, there's no official number. Anyone writing copy, making graphics or drafting briefs from this: don't fill in a number here – do that and you're putting words in the government's mouth.

The evidence that counts most

A video and photos of the whole place from day one (see "Move-in day: film the whole place"), a signed inventory, and every written exchange. Charges like "two hundred for nail holes in the wall" will very likely go your way if you've got move-in evidence.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Deposits: 5 weeks max, protected within 30 days5 minutes to check the deposit amount; the landlord must protect it within 30 days of receiving it

From 1 May 2026, tenancy types changed: the APT (assured periodic tenancy) replaced the AST. Where this guide mentions the AST, that's the old name – the rules themselves haven't changed, only the name. If your contract doesn't say AST, that doesn't mean anything's wrong with it. To work out which type you're on (especially if you're in student accommodation), see "What kind of tenancy have you actually signed?". Source: https://www.gov.uk/private-renting(2026-09-05 snapshot)

If you live in private student accommodation and your landlord isn't signed up to the National Code, this most likely applies to you too - check your tenancy type in "What kind of tenancy have you actually signed?".

Two numbers to remember

5 weeks: for most rents, the legal maximum deposit is 5 weeks' rent. Letting agents inventing "viewing fees", "contract fees" or "cleaning deposits" are charging fees that are banned. 30 days: within 30 days of getting your deposit, the landlord must put it in a government-approved protection scheme (one of the three: DPS, TDS or mydeposits) and give you the details.

It's not done until you've got the paperwork

Once it's protected, you'll get a certificate and a set of "prescribed information". Keep them with your contract. Without that proof the landlord is on shaky legal ground - and in any dispute over deductions when you move out, things tilt in your favour.

Walk through it with screenshots

Screenshots taken on 5 September 2026. All public gov.uk pages, no login needed.

Step 1: work out which tenancy you're on

This is background you need, and it's just changed. gov.uk now says:

The most common type of tenancy is an assured periodic tenancy (APT); APTs replaced assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) on 1 May 2026.

The same page also lists what doesn't count as an APT, and student accommodation is named right there - so where you live directly changes which rules apply to you. That's the next step.

Step 2: gov.uk has a page just for university students

This page splits students two ways:

Renting from a private landlordMost likely tenancyAPT
Halls / private student accommodationMost likely tenancyCommon law tenancy or licence (not an APT)

But the second row comes with a condition most people miss: for private student accommodation to count as a common law tenancy or licence, the landlord must be signed up to the National Code of practice. If they aren't, you're most likely still on an APT - which means more protection, not less. You can check whether your building is signed up on the National Code website.

The page also says two things anyone in halls should know: the agreement usually runs until the end of the academic year, and you're responsible for the rent for the whole of that time. Even so, a landlord who wants you out still has to go through the courts – they can't just remove you.

Step 3: the two hard deadlines for protecting your deposit

  • The landlord or letting agent must put it in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receiving your deposit;
  • When you move out, it must be returned within 10 days of you both agreeing how much you'll get back;
  • In England and Wales there are only three approved schemes: Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits and Tenancy Deposit Scheme.
  • If there's a dispute, the deposit stays in the scheme until it's resolved – the landlord can't just take their cut first.

(Scotland and Northern Ireland have different schemes, so don't apply this page's rules there.)

Step 4: what if it isn't protected?

This page sets out your options if the landlord hasn't protected your deposit. Use it to confirm where you stand first, then talk compensation.

If your landlord hasn't protected it

First, ask the landlord in writing (email) for the protection certificate. If you don't get it, search for your deposit on each of the three schemes' websites. Not on any of them = the landlord has broken the rules, and you can take legal action. A court can order the landlord to pay you 1 to 3 times the deposit - which is why almost no proper landlord takes the risk.

Where people slip up

  • Paying cash with no receipt. Pay the deposit by bank transfer so there's a record; if it's cash, get a receipt, and make sure the amount matches the contract.
  • Mixing up a "holding deposit" with the deposit. A holding deposit (to reserve the place) is capped at 1 week's rent, and once you sign it must either be refunded or put towards your first month's rent or deposit – it can't just vanish.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Move-in day: film the whole place20 minutes to film it properly; half an hour to go through the inventory line by line

Why it has to be day one

Deposit disputes boil down to one question: did you cause this? A video from your first day proves the stains, scratches and broken hinges were there before you moved in. Film it a week later and it's much weaker evidence.

How to film it

Turn on the date stamp, or just shoot video (it's timestamped anyway), and go room by room: corners, carpets, switch on every appliance, the toilet seat, mould on the window frames, scratches on the furniture. Upload it to the cloud the same day – don't leave it only on your phone. Lose the phone and you've lost the evidence.

Don't sign the inventory blind

Go through the inventory from your landlord or letting agent line by line. Anything marked "good" that's actually worn: photograph it, note it and ask in writing for it to be corrected before you sign. The inventory section of the official How to Rent guide is about exactly this: checking before you sign is one of the few moments where you can win the argument before it starts.

Two more while you're at it

  • Photograph the electricity, gas and water meters that day (see "Read the meters on day one, or pay the last tenant's bill");
  • Press the test button on the smoke alarm. If it doesn't go off, report it in writing that day – don't put it off.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Official pages

Checked against official pages on 10 Sep 2026.

Not official advice. Rules change, so always check the official page.