Giving notice
Put it in writing, even where a conversation has already happened, and keep proof of when you sent it. Notice periods and forms differ by country and by tenancy type, so check your agreement rather than assuming.
In Scotland, a tenant on a private residential tenancy normally gives twenty eight days. A landlord serves a notice to leave citing one of the statutory grounds, with the period attached to that ground. In England, since 1 May 2026, section 21 no fault notices no longer exist and a landlord must rely on a statutory ground, while tenants give notice under the periodic arrangements that replaced fixed terms.
If either side gets the form or the period wrong, the notice is usually invalid, and the tenancy simply continues until a valid one is served.
The month before
- Confirm the end date in writing so both sides are working to the same day.
- Find your copy of the inventory and the check in report. This is the document everything else is measured against.
- Walk the property with the inventory in hand and note anything that differs.
- Report any outstanding repair now rather than at check out, because a repair reported late looks like damage discovered late.
- Agree how keys are returned and to whom.
- Arrange the final meter readings, and tell the utility companies and the council the date you are leaving.
Cleaning, and the standard that applies
The benchmark is the condition recorded at check in, not a general idea of clean. If the inventory says the oven was clean and the carpets had been professionally cleaned, that is what you have to return. If it recorded light marking on a carpet, you are not obliged to improve on it.
Most avoidable deductions are here: the oven, the extractor filter, limescale, inside kitchen cupboards, the shower screen, the fridge seal, the windows and the garden. Do them, photograph them afterwards, and keep the photographs with dates.
The check out
Ideally the same firm that prepared the inventory, working through it in the same order, on or near the day you hand back the keys. Attend if you can, because a disagreement is far easier to resolve in the room than in writing three weeks later.
- Every room photographed again, dated.
- Meter readings recorded for gas, electricity and water.
- Keys and fobs counted against the inventory.
- Any difference described specifically, and marked as wear or damage rather than left ambiguous.
- A copy sent to the tenant, not just to the landlord.
Take your own photographs the same day regardless. Twenty minutes with a phone is the cheapest protection available at either end of a tenancy.
The deposit timeline
Deductions are proposed, not imposed. The landlord or agent sets out what they want to take and why, with evidence, and the tenant agrees or disputes it.
Deductions must be for unpaid rent, damage beyond fair wear and tear, cleaning to the original standard, or missing items. They are apportioned for the age and expected lifespan of anything replaced, which is why a seven year old carpet does not cost a new carpet. Fair wear and tear is not deductible and neither is an upgrade.
Once agreed, the scheme releases the money. Where part is disputed, the undisputed part should still be released while the rest goes to adjudication.
If you disagree
- Reply in writing, accept whatever is fair, and dispute the rest with reasons. Partial agreement speeds everything up and costs you nothing.
- Ask for the evidence behind each deduction, including the age of any item being replaced.
- If it is not resolved, raise a dispute with the scheme. Adjudication is free, decided on documents, and you do not need a solicitor.
- Submit the inventory, the check out report, your own dated photographs from both ends, and any correspondence about repairs you reported.
One thing worth checking before any of this: was the deposit protected properly at the start, and were you served the prescribed information? If not, that is a separate and more serious failure, worth up to three times the deposit in England and capable of the same outcome at the First-tier Tribunal in Scotland.
Common questions
How much notice do I have to give as a tenant?
It depends on the tenancy and the country. In Scotland, a private residential tenancy normally requires twenty eight days from the tenant. In England, since tenancies became periodic under the Renters' Rights Act, tenants give notice under the statutory arrangements rather than being tied to a fixed term. Check your agreement and put notice in writing either way.
Do I have to have the property professionally cleaned?
Only to return it to the standard recorded at check in. A clause requiring professional cleaning regardless of condition is generally unenforceable, and adjudicators routinely reject it. If the inventory says the property was professionally cleaned at the start, that is the benchmark you have to meet.
When should I get my deposit back?
Once the tenancy has ended and deductions are agreed, within the timescale set by the scheme holding it. If you dispute a deduction, the disputed amount stays with the scheme until adjudication concludes, and the undisputed part should be released to you meanwhile.
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