DIY InventoryRenting in Welwyn Hatfield: check-in and getting your deposit back
What to check when you move in, how to protect your deposit, and where renters in Welwyn Hatfield can get help.
Homes to rent in Welwyn Hatfield
Welwyn Hatfield combines Welwyn Garden City, the planned garden city of the 1920s, with the post-war new town of Hatfield. Social renting is unusually high, at about a quarter of households, and many ex-council homes are now let privately. The University of Hertfordshire means many shared houses and student lets around Hatfield, where new HMOs need planning permission. The southern villages are mostly large owner-occupied homes in the green belt.
Average rent: £1,496 a month (ONS, June 2026), up 3.1% 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 Welwyn Hatfield homes
- Student shared houses near the University of Hertfordshire: record each bedroom's lock, furniture and fire doors, and check a licence is in place for five or more sharers.
- Garden city houses in Welwyn Garden City: photograph original windows, hedges and front gardens, which the estate management scheme expects to be kept.
- Post-war terraces and maisonettes in Hatfield: note communal stairs, bin stores, garages in blocks and any fob or key counts.
- Ex-council flats: photograph communal doors, entry phones and drying areas, and ask who maintains them.
- Older cottages in Old Hatfield and Welwyn village: check low ceilings, timber windows and any damp in solid walls.
- Detached homes in Brookmans Park and Cuffley: photograph large gardens, driveways and outbuildings.
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
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council's Private Sector Housing team deals with disrepair, HMO standards and unsafe conditions in private rented homes. Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council: private renting.
Renting in Welwyn Hatfield: questions
What should I check when I move into a rented home in Welwyn Hatfield?
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 Welwyn Hatfield get help?
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council's Private Sector Housing team deals with disrepair, HMO standards and unsafe conditions in private rented homes.
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 Welwyn Hatfield home’s condition today, on your phone.
Start free