Before court

A clear letter can set out the issue before a tenant considers court.

What tenants usually include when writing to a landlord about a deposit protection issue.

Check your eligibility

Keep it factual

A useful letter sets out the tenancy address, deposit amount, date paid, scheme search results and what documents were or were not received.

Not sure what your paperwork means?

Use the eligibility check as the next step before trying to work out the claim alone.

Check eligibility

Attach evidence

Include copies of key records rather than long explanations. Payment proof, scheme screenshots and tenancy agreements are usually more useful than argument.

Give a clear response window

Tenants often ask the landlord to respond within a reasonable period. Keep proof of sending and any reply.

Next step

Check whether this applies to your tenancy.

Before writing to your landlord, check whether the evidence points to the right type of deposit protection issue.

Check eligibility

Related guides

Keep building the evidence picture.