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For tenantsRenting in Derbyshire Dales: check-in and getting your deposit back
What to check when you move in, how to protect your deposit, and where renters in Derbyshire Dales can get help.
Homes to rent in Derbyshire Dales
Derbyshire Dales is a rural district, much of it in the Peak District National Park, where homes are mostly built of local gritstone and limestone. Many are older cottages and terraces, some listed or in conservation areas, and many villages are off the mains gas grid. Holiday lets and second homes are common in the national park villages, which limits the supply of long-term lets. Matlock, Ashbourne and Wirksworth have most of the district's rented homes.
Average rent: £819 a month (ONS, August 2026), up 9.0% 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 Derbyshire Dales homes
- Stone cottages: photograph damp patches, lime plaster, low beams and any uneven stone floors, room by room.
- Homes off the gas grid: photograph the oil tank and gauge reading, LPG bottles or the solid-fuel stove, hearth and flue.
- Older properties with open fires or wood-burners: photograph the chimney breast, hearth and any carbon monoxide alarm.
- Riverside homes in Matlock, Matlock Bath and Cromford: note flood-protection products and photograph tide marks or damp on low walls.
- Hillside homes: photograph steps, retaining walls, gutters and drainage, which suffer in heavy rain.
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
Private tenants with disrepair or unsafe conditions can contact Derbyshire Dales District Council's housing or environmental health team. Derbyshire Dales District Council: private renting.
Renting in Derbyshire Dales: questions
What should I check when I move into a rented home in Derbyshire Dales?
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 Derbyshire Dales get help?
Private tenants with disrepair or unsafe conditions can contact Derbyshire Dales District Council's housing or environmental health 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.
Ready when you have the keys
Record your Derbyshire Dales home’s condition today, on your phone.
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