DIY InventoryRenting in Cotswold: check-in and getting your deposit back
What to check when you move in, how to protect your deposit, and where renters in Cotswold can get help.
Homes to rent in Cotswold
Cotswold district is almost all rural, with honey-coloured limestone cottages, farmhouses and converted barns in conservation areas, many of them listed. House prices are among the highest outside the South East, and second homes and holiday lets are common in villages such as Bourton-on-the-Water and Chipping Campden. Cirencester has the largest private rented sector, including Royal Agricultural University students, and has had large new estates. Many homes are off the gas grid and rely on oil, LPG or electric heating.
Average rent: £1,263 a month (ONS, September 2026), up 6.3% on a year earlier. Source
On moving-in day
- Before unpacking, photograph every room: a wide shot, then each item, with the date and time on every photo.
- Photograph the meters (gas, electricity, water) and write down the readings.
- Count the keys and fobs, and test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
- Note anything worn, marked or not working, and send it to the landlord or agent within a few days.
Things to look at in Cotswold homes
- Listed stone cottages: photograph solid walls for damp, window reveals, beams, flagstone floors and any wood burner or open fire.
- Off-grid homes: record the oil tank or LPG gauge reading, the boiler, and any septic tank or private water supply.
- Converted barns and farm cottages: note the condition of gravel drives, gates, outbuildings and garden walls.
- Student lets near the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester: photograph each bedroom's lock and furniture and the shared kitchen separately.
- Homes near the Thames and Coln at Lechlade and Fairford: check for signs of past flooding and the state of drains.
- New-build estates at Cirencester and Moreton-in-Marsh: record any open snagging, parking spaces and estate charges.
Your deposit
Your landlord must protect your deposit in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits within 30 days and tell you which. At the end, deductions can only be for damage beyond fair wear and tear, cleaning back to the check-in standard, or rent owed. A dated check-in record is your best protection.
Help from the council
Tenants with disrepair or safety problems in a private rented home can contact Cotswold District Council's environmental health (private sector housing) team. Cotswold District Council: private renting.
Renting in Cotswold: questions
What should I check when I move into a rented home in Cotswold?
Photograph every room and item before you unpack, with the date on each photo: walls, floors, windows, appliances, meters and keys. Note anything worn or damaged and get the landlord or agent to agree it in writing.
How do I get my deposit back?
Leave the home as you found it, allowing for fair wear and tear, and compare it with the check-in record. If you disagree with deductions, the deposit scheme’s free dispute service decides on the evidence.
Where can renters in Cotswold get help?
Tenants with disrepair or safety problems in a private rented home can contact Cotswold District Council's environmental health (private sector housing) team.
Can a tenant do the check-in inventory?
Yes. With DIY Inventory a tenant can do it on their phone and send the landlord a link to check and sign it, so both sides have the same dated record.