Housing deposits are a huge expense when moving into shared accommodation, especially when paired together with fees for ‘summer rent’ and other such annoyances. Thankfully though, you should be able to reclaim your bond or deposit at the end of the year, providing you take some simple steps to protect it from the few landlords out there that give the majority a bad name.
Check and double check the inventory
At the start of the year, it’s common place for a landlord or letting agent to provide an inventory, or list, of every item that’s in the property, that requires your signature. Take it away for a couple of days and be absolutely exhaustive in cataloguing any existing damage to the property. If questioned about anything, offer to show your landlord the damage as soon as possible, just so that you have evidence if the blame is shifted. If your landlord hasn’t drawn up an inventory, make one yourself and either file it with your letting agent or get your landlord to sign it too. This will do most of the groundwork to avoiding a “He said/She said” type scenario at the end of the year.
Take photos
Take pictures of your entire house and they can serve a dual purpose; you can post them to your parents and any housemates that haven’t moved in yet to remind them of your fantastic new house, whilst also protecting yourself from any unwarranted damage claims.
Define ‘wear and tear’
Your bond is protected under UK law and normal ‘wear and tear’ of the property is taken into account under this protection. However, it’s a really good idea to have ‘wear and tear’ defined in your contract, otherwise bad landlords will often try and charge you for damage that you really shouldn’t have to shell out for.
Maintain the property
By keeping your property clean and tidy, problems are far less likely to go unnoticed. To make sure responsibilities are shared amongst housemates, you could create a rota for cleaning and taking out the rubbish. By regularly using an extractor fan in the kitchen or bathroom, you can prevent damp and mould developing by keeping the property well ventilated.
Report damage
Don’t make the mistake of not reporting small damages, such as a cigarette burn or the occurrence of some mould, as leaving these issues till the end of the year will only lead to awkward conversations. Report any incidental damage as soon as possible and get it sorted; hiding it will only serve to make deposit discussions un-necessarily heated.
Get yourself sorted
Make sure you’ve cleaned the house thoroughly and have done everything you can prior to the final inspection, to avoid giving your landlord an excuse to withhold some of your deposit. If something has been damaged through negligence, be upfront about it as soon as possible and propose an amount you think is appropriate to cover the damages – there is absolutely nothing fair about losing a £300 deposit for a few blu-tack marks, for example.
For more information on how to protect your deposit and tips for a great house share, visit endsleigh.co.uk/deposit.