The evidence that actually holds up in a deposit dispute

At the start

Protect the deposit within 30 days and serve the prescribed information, then keep the certificate. An unprotected deposit is not just a lost claim; it exposes the landlord to a penalty of up to three times the deposit.

• A dated inventory with photographs of every room, including meter readings.
• The signed agreement, with any special conditions clearly set out.
• The deposit protection certificate and proof the prescribed information was served.

During the tenancy

Keep repair requests and responses in one written channel. A message thread that shows a leak was reported in March and a contractor attended in March is worth more than any later description of what happened.

At the end

Repeat the inventory in the same order with the same photographs. Adjudicators apply fair wear and tear, so a claim needs to show the condition change and a proportionate cost — an invoice or quote, not an estimate of what you think it is worth.

Why one place matters

Signlet keeps the agreement, the deposit status, the rent record and the full message history against a single tenancy, and either party can export a timestamped record. If it goes as far as adjudication, the evidence is already assembled.

Keep reading

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• What rent collection actually costs a private landlord