Rental deposit

[use257]

This is the first time I've rented a flat and now we are leaving. To get the deposit back, what counts as general wear and tear and what counts as damage? And does the flat have to be spotless to get the deposit back-I.e no dust at all etc? Do I need to clean the oven- it wasn't that clean when I got it?

Thank you in advance from a clueless young woman!🙄

Wear and tear is general expected aging of a thing. Damage is exactly that, whether accidental or not.

So a stair carpet being a bit threadbare from years of people walking up and down = wear & tear. Stair carpet being a bit threadbare because the cat has used it as a scratching post = damage

Things like the oven have to be in the same state as when you got them. If the oven was covered in 6 inches of grease when you moved in, it's acceptable to return like that. If it was sparkling clean, then you could be deducted the cost of getting someone out to clean it properly if it was returned as anything less.

Wear and tear would broadly cover things like furniture marks / foot treading wear on carpet or wood floors, light scuffs and dirty fingerprints to paintwork, the washing machine and dishwasher being a bit scummy, the odd minor mark to a door or unit here and there: basically, things which might arise from day to day use and living. But it’s also pretty dependent on how long you’ve been there when the tenancy ends: a landlord would be expected to understand that a property would need to be fully repainted every three or four years, and that after a ten year tenancy they must expect more low level damage than after a 12 month one.

Make sure you are happy with the inventory you’re given when you move in and counter anything you think is incorrect. Usually it will say in your tenancy agreement what level of cleaning is expected when the keys are handed back, and many tenancies stipulate a professional clean - but if the property clearly wasn’t cleaned to a professional standard when you moved in, you don’t have to return it to one when you leave and a thorough domestic clean would suffice.

Did you have an inventory? Put it back equivalent to tge inventory. Def make sure the flat and oven is as clean as it was. Take photographs. Message the estate agent. Tell them you've put it to the standard it was when you moved in, send them photos to show this - make sure the photos don't include anything untoward obvs! My DD just moved and I saw a Marl on the bathroom wall. I tried to clean it off and took off paint about the size of a 2p coin. She got the deposit back in full 2 weeks later.