How to Dispute Deposit Deductions: TDS, DPS and mydeposits

General information for England as at October 2026, not legal advice. Deadlines and steps vary between schemes, and the rules differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; check your scheme’s own rules, gov.uk or a qualified adviser for your situation.

To dispute deposit deductions, first reply in writing saying which deductions you disagree with and why. If you can’t agree, raise a dispute with the scheme protecting your deposit (the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, the Deposit Protection Service or mydeposits), usually within three months of the tenancy ending. Their dispute service is free, both sides send evidence, an independent adjudicator decides, and the landlord has to justify every deduction.

Step 1: find out which scheme holds your deposit

Your landlord must protect your deposit and give you the prescribed information within 30 days of receiving it. That information names the scheme. If you’ve lost it, you can search on each scheme’s website with your postcode, surname and deposit amount:

• Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS)
• Deposit Protection Service (DPS)
• mydeposits

If it isn’t protected anywhere, that’s a separate problem for the landlord; see deposit protection rules.

Step 2: ask for the evidence and reply in writing

Ask the landlord or agent for an itemised list of deductions with the reason and cost for each, plus the check-in and check-out reports and any invoices or quotes. Then reply by email, item by item:

• Agree the deductions you accept (it speeds up getting the rest back).
• Dispute each one you don’t, with a short reason: “recorded as already stained at check-in (photo 14)”, “fair wear after a four-year tenancy”, “the quote is for a new carpet; the old one was ten years old”.
• Offer a lower figure where you accept some responsibility but think the cost is too high.

Schemes expect both sides to try to settle first, and TDS may ask for proof you tried. Keep it calm and factual, because the adjudicator may read it.

Step 3: raise a dispute with the scheme

If talking doesn’t work, start the scheme’s dispute (alternative dispute resolution, or ADR). It’s free, and it’s an alternative to court. Both sides normally have to agree to use it, and the decision is final and binding (gov.uk).

These timings come from the schemes’ own guidance and can change, so check the current rules on your scheme’s site (DPS, mydeposits, TDS). Don’t wait for the last week.

What evidence wins a deposit dispute?

The adjudicator only sees paper and photos. They can’t visit. The landlord has to prove each deduction is justified, but your evidence decides how strong their case looks. Useful evidence:

• The check-in inventory, ideally signed by both of you, with dated photos. This is the single most important document.
• The check-out report, or your own photos from moving-out day, taken from the same angles as the check-in.
• Dated photos: photos with the date and time burned into the picture are harder to question than undated ones.
• Emails and texts reporting repairs during the tenancy (a leak, mould, a broken appliance), so damage isn’t blamed on you.
• Receipts for professional cleaning, carpet cleaning or repairs you paid for.
• The tenancy agreement, for what you were responsible for (the garden, for example).
• Rent statements or bank records, if arrears are claimed.

Label each photo with the room and item, and refer to it by number in your statement. Keep the statement short: one paragraph per disputed deduction.

Common arguments that work

• It was already like that: point to the check-in report and photo.
• It’s fair wear and tear: explain the length of the tenancy, how many lived there and the item’s age. See fair wear and tear vs damage.
• Betterment: the landlord wants a new item to replace an old one. Ask for the item’s age and a proportionate figure.
• No evidence: no check-in report, or a vague one (“good condition throughout”), makes a deduction hard to support.
• The cost is too high: compare the quote with typical local prices, or show a cheaper repair would do.

The guide to tenancy deposit deductions explains what landlords can and can’t claim.

What if the landlord won’t reply?

If your landlord or agent doesn’t respond, the schemes have a way to get your deposit back without them. For example, the DPS lets a tenant use a statutory declaration (a sworn statement) if the landlord can’t be contacted or hasn’t responded 14 calendar days after the tenancy ended. TDS and mydeposits have similar steps. Contact your scheme. Citizens Advice also has help on getting your deposit back.

Can I go to court instead?

Yes. If either side won’t use the scheme’s dispute service, or the amount is complex, the small claims court is the other route, with a court fee. Most tenants find the free scheme service quicker and simpler.

Landlords: how to avoid losing a dispute

Adjudicators regularly find against landlords who have no check-in report, undated photos or no invoices. Do a thorough inventory at the start, have the tenant check and sign it, and compare like with like at the end. DIY Inventory stamps the date and time into every photo, lets you send the tenant a link to comment on and sign the report, and starts a check-out from the check-in so each item can be compared then and now. It’s £30 per report (pricing).

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Wales uses the same three schemes and dispute services. Scotland has its own schemes (SafeDeposits Scotland, Letting Protection Service Scotland, mydeposits Scotland) with their own dispute deadlines. Northern Ireland uses TDS Northern Ireland and mydeposits Northern Ireland. Check the deadline with the scheme that holds your deposit.

Questions

Updated 27 October 2026