So, you may be just starting to think about moving out of your student accommodation. Your su: Advice Team has prepared a checklist of points to consider when it comes to moving out of your student property.
Our moving out checklist:
There are many legitimate reasons why deductions may be made from your deposit. Below are a few tips to consider when vacating the property to help avoid problems:
- The cooker is clean, including the oven.
- The fridge/freezer is empty of food; the freezer has been defrosted, all shelves are clean, and it has been switched off with the door left open.
- All cupboards are empty of food and wiped clean.
- All communal areas and individual rooms have been vacuumed.
- The vacuum cleaner is empty.
- All rubbish has been removed from the property and cleared from the yard/back garden.
- All personal possessions have been removed.
- All posters and blue tack/pins/Sellotape have been removed.
- All furniture that was in the room at the start of the tenancy has been returned to its correct place.
- The curtains are hung properly on their hooks.
- Paintwork and windowsills have been wiped.
- The toilet, sink, and bath have been cleaned.
- All surfaces, including the floor, have been cleaned.
- All toiletries have been removed and bins emptied.
- Keys have been returned.
A short time will probably lapse between you moving out of the property and the landlord/lady returning your deposit; this should be a reasonable amount of time for them to inspect the property.
If, after numerous correspondence with the landlord/lady you are still not entirely happy, your deposit is not returned promptly, or you are in dispute with the deductions taken from your deposit then you can take legal action in the county court.
From 6th April 2007, all deposits paid for a new Assured Shorthold Tenancy will be kept in one of the three Government-backed Tenancy Deposit Protection Schemes. This means that your deposit should be returned to you within 10 working days of you vacating the property.
Any disputes which arise will be dealt with by a dispute resolution scheme and the landlord can only withhold the amount that they believe you owe whilst negotiations are taking place, not the full amount. For further information on this please come in and see an adviser or visit the Direct.gov website.
Any retainer (holding deposit) you have paid may not be refundable; hopefully, you will have had confirmation of this in writing at the start of the tenancy agreement.
For further information about deposits or any other accommodation matter then please contact the Students’ Union Advice Team