DIY InventoryRenting in Redditch: check-in and getting your deposit back
What to check when you move in, how to protect your deposit, and where renters in Redditch can get help.
Homes to rent in Redditch
Redditch was a needle-making town before it became a new town in 1964, so it has a small core of Victorian terraces around the centre and Headless Cross and large planned estates such as Matchborough, Winyates, Church Hill and Woodrow. The new-town estates have terraced houses and maisonettes laid out around footpaths and garage courts, many built by the development corporation and later bought or let privately. Private renting is a modest share of homes, and the villages of Astwood Bank and Feckenham are mostly owner-occupied.
Average rent: £886 a month (ONS, October 2025), similar to 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 Redditch homes
- New-town terraces and maisonettes in Matchborough, Winyates and Church Hill: photograph flat roofs, older windows, shared stairways and garage courts, and note garage keys.
- Victorian terraces near the town centre and Headless Cross: record damp at the base of walls, rear yards and alleys.
- Homes with underpasses and footpath frontages on the estates: note which bins, sheds and parking spaces belong to the property.
- Village cottages in Astwood Bank and Feckenham: photograph stoves, chimneys and damp in older walls.
- Flats over shops in the town centre: record the separate entrance, stairs, fire escape and where the meters are.
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 can report disrepair, damp or unsafe conditions in privately rented homes to Redditch Borough Council's private sector housing team, shared with Bromsgrove.
Renting in Redditch: questions
What should I check when I move into a rented home in Redditch?
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 Redditch get help?
Tenants can report disrepair, damp or unsafe conditions in privately rented homes to Redditch Borough Council's private sector housing team, shared with Bromsgrove.
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.