Landlords must provide evidence to withhold deposits

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by Gill Montia

mydeposits.co.uk is reminding landlords that they need to provide sufficient evidence to support a decision to withhold part or all of a tenant’s deposit.

The firm, which operates as a Government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme, explains that while some disputes arise because a landlord unfairly withholds a deposit, a growing number of reputable landlords are ending up out of pocket because they do not have enough evidence to justify their actions.

A landlord is legally entitled to withhold deposit money to cover damage beyond fair wear and tear.

However, under deposit protection legislation introduced in April of last year, tenants can formally dispute the amount withheld.

According to mydeposits.co.uk, where a landlord cannot provide evidence of damage or failure to clean, tenancy deposit protection schemes frequently have no choice but to find in favour of the tenant.