Is anyone a bit of an expert on deposit protection scheme damage, etc.?

[titself]

Hello, we have just moved out of a large, four storey house after a 3 year tenancy.

We did a big clean (cleaner worked for 11 hours).

They have just billed me for a deep clean including the outside of the windows because they say it wasn't clean enough. It is a big house so maybe 11 hours wasn't enough. They want to deduct 450 from our deposit.

They house wasn't very clean when we moved in but that isn't stated in the check-in report.

Is this fair? Do we have to pay to have the house immaculately clean so they can show it to the new buyers? I will pay if this is how it works, but just would like to know where I stand legally.

Thanks in advance

We successfully disputed just about everything on our report. They originally tried to keep all of our deposit.

They claimed:
White unsealed grout on kitchen floor was no longer white - no shit!
Repainting all walls - we had lived there 2 years and wasn't freshly painted when we moved in and check in report reflected this
Damage to carpet - tried to claim full cost of carpet even though it was original with house (they'd provided us with care instructions and receipt for purchase - dated 8 years previous)

We ended up paying £50 for pro rata cost of replacement carpet only.

Agency tried to threaten me with dispute resolution service and I replied I was happy to go as was confident they would rule in our favour, as reasonable life span of painted walls in rented house is 2-3 years, could only charge pro-rata for replacement carpet, unreasonable to expect white unsealed grout on a floor to remain white. Refunded the next day after that.

Good advice given already. I just want to point out that if you have correspondence from they stating how much they want to deduct and what for then when you raise a dispute it is only the part of your deposit which isn't returned to you until the dispute is resolved.

Should read that part of your deposit

Thanks so much everyone - excellent advice

I think I will tell them that if they are not going to return it 100% I will do it all through the dispute service.

I will update.

Well done and good luck. They sound like they are just trying it on.