Tenancy Deposit Dispute Calculator UK 2025 — Challenge Unfair Deductions
Landlords can only make deductions from your deposit for specific, reasonable, and evidenced costs. If you disagree with deductions, you can dispute them for free through the deposit protection scheme’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service. If your deposit was never protected, you can claim 1–3 times the deposit amount as a penalty. This calculator works out your options.
Deposit protection: landlord must protect within 30 days and provide prescribed information. Failure: 1–3x deposit penalty claimable in county court. ADR: free through the scheme, decision within 28 days. Deposits capped at 5 weeks’ rent (or 6 weeks for rent over £50,000/year) since June 2019. Time limit for unprotected deposit claim: during tenancy or within 3 months of end.
What Landlords Can and Cannot Deduct
| Landlord CAN deduct for | Landlord CANNOT deduct for |
|---|---|
| Unpaid rent | Fair wear and tear |
| Damage beyond fair wear and tear | Pre-existing damage (not in inventory) |
| Professional cleaning if property left dirty | Normal deterioration of old items |
| Missing items from inventory | Betterment (replacing old with new without allowance) |
| Replacement of broken items (with age deduction) | Costs not evidenced with receipts or quotes |
| Garden not maintained to move-in standard | Costs for work not actually carried out |
The ADR Process — How to Win
The ADR adjudicator decides based on evidence. To win your dispute:
- Submit your check-in and check-out inventory and photos showing condition at both dates
- Point to discrepancies between check-in and check-out that were the landlord’s fault or pre-existing
- Argue fair wear and tear for any deterioration consistent with the length and nature of the tenancy
- Challenge any deduction not supported by receipts, quotes, or proper evidence
- Challenge any deduction for betterment (e.g. replacing a 5-year-old carpet with a brand-new one and charging the full cost)
Deposit Cap Rules (Since June 2019)
Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, deposits are capped at:
- 5 weeks’ rent for properties with annual rent under £50,000
- 6 weeks’ rent for properties with annual rent of £50,000 or more
If your landlord took a deposit above the cap, the excess must be returned. Taking an uncapped deposit is a prohibited payment under the Tenant Fees Act and can be challenged through Trading Standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do not simply accept a full deposit retention. Write to the landlord formally disputing the deductions and asking for itemised evidence (receipts, quotes, photos). If the deposit is in a scheme, start the ADR process immediately. If the landlord refuses to engage, the scheme can adjudicate on their behalf. ADR decisions are binding on both parties. Keep all communication in writing and take photos of the property at check-out.
Check the three government-approved schemes: TDS (tenancydepositscheme.com); DPS (depositprotection.com); myDeposits (mydeposits.co.uk). Each has a free online checker where you can search by postcode and landlord name. Your landlord should also have given you the scheme details and certificate within 30 days of taking the deposit. If you cannot find it in any scheme, your deposit may be unprotected and you have a claim for 1–3x the amount.