Deposit Protection Service > Claims and disputes for tenants > If your landlord has made a claim
Has your landlord made a claim against your deposit? Follow these steps to help determine if it's likely an adjudicator would agree.
Review the landlord’s claim
1) Is the landlord’s claim valid?
Your first step should be to review the tenancy agreement and check-in and check-out inventory reports to see if you’ve breached the terms of the original agreement? These will show the condition of the property when you moved in and moved out and detail any contract terms that should have been followed.
2) Is the amount claimed fair and reasonable?
Has the landlord accounted for fair wear and tear over the lifespan of the tenancy?
When calculating how much to claim, landlords should consider the condition of the item at the start of the tenancy, and its likely condition accounting for the length of the tenancy had it not been damaged.
3) Does the landlord have evidence to prove their claim?
Adjudicators make their decisions based on the evidence they receive. They must be persuaded “on a balance of probabilities” that a breach of the tenancy agreement has occurred and caused or will lead to a financial loss. This is more likely if the landlord has strong evidence in support of their claim.
Read about different types of claims and supporting evidence
4) Have you discussed the claim with the landlord?
Understanding the basis and reasoning of the landlord’s claim and can help you reach an agreement without the need for dispute resolution. It can take up to seven weeks to reach an outcome in a dispute so coming to a quick settlement saves time and effort and benefits everyone.