I'm having problems getting my deposit back
And I live in university accommodation...
The majority of problems in University accommodation is the amount of deposit returned or any charges you incur for common areas (e.g. kitchen) that you may not agree with. If you disagree with any charges, or you think they have charged you too much, write to University Accommodation and explain why. Remember to include evidence. To challenge charges for common areas e.g. kitchen cleaning, you would need to show why this shouldn’t be taken from your deposit e.g. if you can show you were not in the residence at the time.
It’s also worth noting that the University has to replace any damage caused from their list of approved suppliers and contractors so this could make it more expensive.
If you’re not happy, or need more help, pop in and see us at LUU Advice. We’re separate to the University so we can represent you independently.
And I’m renting from a private landlord...
Most problems are disagreeing about the amount of deductions and/or your landlord ignoring attempts to question why money has been deducted. If your landlord hasn’t returned all or part of your deposit, they need to give you evidence to prove why. If you had a joint tenancy contract, money your housemates owed could be deducted from your share of the deposit too. So check in with your housemates.
If you don’t agree with the deductions you only have three months from the end of your contract to raise a dispute with the tenancy deposit scheme- so get cracking. LUU advice can help to go through the deductions with you, or gather the evidence you’ll need.
The first thing to do is talk to your landlord and let them know you either haven’t got your deposit back or think the deductions aren’t fair. Remember to backup your conversation with evidence. Confirm the discussions you had in writing after the talk.
If this doesn’t work, get your points across in writing and request that they get back to you within seven days.
If you still can’t get a response, open a dispute with the scheme your deposit is protected in. You’ll need to register the dispute within the three months of your contract ending. So even if you’re still waiting on info from your landlord, raise a dispute as soon as possible.
Find out which scheme your part of here.
Each scheme has a slightly different dispute procedure, you can find out all the details here:
If you need any help, pop into LUU Advice to see us.