How to Get Your Full Deposit Back When You Move Out

Your deposit is money you've already earned — getting it back in full is mostly about preparation. Here's how to protect it.

Start with the inventory

When you moved in, you should have been given an inventory — a documented condition of the property with photos. Dig it out. It's the single most important document at checkout, because it proves what was already worn, marked or damaged before you arrived. Without it, landlords can (and do) claim pre-existing wear was your fault.

If you never received one, request it from your landlord or agent now. Take your own dated photos of every room before you leave too.

Clean to the checkout standard

'Clean' to a landlord means something very specific: the property returned in the same condition it was let, minus fair wear and tear. A quick tidy won't cut it. The areas most commonly deducted for are:

• The oven and hob
• Limescale in bathrooms
• Skirting boards and light switches
• Internal windows
• Carpets with stains or ground-in dirt

A professional end-of-tenancy clean is the most reliable way to hit this standard — and one that's backed by a deposit-back guarantee removes the risk entirely.

Document everything

On the day you leave, take timestamped photos of every room, every surface, the inside of the oven, and the garden. Keep utility meter readings. This evidence is what wins a dispute if one arises.

Return keys and notify

Hand back all keys on the agreed date and confirm in writing. Any delay can trigger a daily rent charge. Then follow up on your deposit return within the scheme's timeline — you usually have to respond within a set window.

Get all of this right and your deposit comes back in full. Get the cleaning wrong and it's the most common — and most avoidable — deduction there is.