I’ve given back the keys to the estate agent I was renting a

Hello, my name is***** hope you are well today. I am a qualified Solicitor, and I will be able to help you by providing you with an answer to your question today. I specialise in UK and Irish Law. I am not always online but rest assured if I do not respond immediately I will respond when I return.

Is there anything else you feel is relevant to your question or anything else you would like to add before we continue?

Your landlord or letting agent can only take money from your deposit if there's a good reason. For example, they can usually take money off if:

• you owe rent
• you've damaged the property - this could be something like a spill on the carpet or a mark on the wall where you've hung a picture
• you've lost or broken some items from the inventory, like some cutlery or mugs

Your landlord or letting agent should tell you why they're taking money off. Ask them to give you their reasons in writing - that way you can refer back to them if you need to take action to get your deposit back.

If you still can't agree with your landlord, there are things you can do to get your deposit back. The action you take against your landlord will depend on whether your deposit is protected in a tenancy deposit scheme (TDP). They must put your deposit in a TDS if you have an Assured Shorthold Tenancy.

If your deposit is protected, your landlord should have told you what scheme they used. You can use your scheme's 'alternative dispute resolution' (ADR) service to help you get your deposit back. It's free and easy to make a claim.

You'll usually have to make your claim to the ADR service within 3 months of moving out of the property. If your landlord or letting agent refuses to use the ADR service you can take them to court instead.

If you agree about part of your deposit, you should get back the money you agree on quickly. You'll usually get your money back in 10 days - it depends on your situation and what scheme your deposit is in.

In applying for the ADR service, you'll need to fill in a form to explain why you think you should get your deposit back. You should give any evidence you have, for example:

• photos showing the condition of the property when you moved out
• copies of check-in and check-out inventories if you have them
• a receipt if you paid for the property to be cleaned professionally
• letters or emails about problems you reported to your landlord that should have been fixed, for example a leaky toilet that caused further damage

If you’re not sure whether some evidence is helpful, it’s best to send it anyway.

Is there anything else I can help with today?