DIY InventoryRenting in Fenland: check-in and getting your deposit back
What to check when you move in, how to protect your deposit, and where renters in Fenland can get help.
Homes to rent in Fenland
Fenland is a rural district of four market towns, Wisbech, March, Chatteris and Whittlesey, set in flat, low-lying fen farmland. Wisbech has fine Georgian houses but also many older terraces and large houses split into flats and shared homes, often let to agricultural and food-processing workers. Elsewhere bungalows, brick cottages and estates of semis and detached houses are common, and house prices are low for the East of England.
Average rent: £830 a month (ONS, March 2026), up 4.1% 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 Fenland homes
- Older terraces and converted houses in Wisbech: check for damp, overcrowding signs and fire safety, and photograph each room's lock and furniture in shared homes.
- Homes on peat and clay fen soils: photograph any cracks in walls, sticking doors and uneven floors, which can come from ground movement.
- Low-lying homes near rivers and drains: note any signs of past flooding or damp in ground-floor rooms and outbuildings.
- Rural cottages and bungalows: record septic tanks or treatment plants, oil tanks and their gauges, and any LPG supply where there is no mains gas.
- Georgian and Victorian houses along the Nene in Wisbech: check sash windows, chimney breasts and cellars for damp.
- Bungalows with large gardens in fen villages: photograph sheds, fences, hedges and drives so their condition is clear at check-out.
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, damp or safety problems in a private let can contact Fenland District Council's private sector housing team, after first telling their landlord. Fenland District Council: private renting.
Renting in Fenland: questions
What should I check when I move into a rented home in Fenland?
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 Fenland get help?
Tenants with disrepair, damp or safety problems in a private let can contact Fenland District Council's private sector housing team, after first telling their landlord.
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.