With high inflation rates continuing to impact the price of goods in the UK, many of our customers have told us that the costs of services such as cleaning and damage repairs for rental properties at the end of a tenancy have also continued rising, having a knock-on effect on dispute adjudication.
When preparing for a deposit dispute, be sure to keep all invoices related to the cleaning or property damage repairs and send them to us. This evidence is vital in helping adjudicators understand the true costs behind your claim.
You may be finding that the cleaning or repair charges are higher than usual. If so, take the time to document why this is the case. Was the service required on short notice? Were the costs of specific materials priced at a premium? Was there a fee for investigating the situation or other extra fees? Ask for any additional costs and services to be itemised in detail on the invoice.
If the adjudicator feels the claimed cost appears high, and there’s no supporting documentation such as quotes or invoices, they may be forced to estimate reasonable costs from their own research which could result in you receiving less than the value of your claim.
Remember that invoices alone aren’t the only evidence you need to provide. To give your claim the best chance of success, you should also provide the Tenancy Agreement, and Check-in and Check-out reports with photos to support your claim.
For more information about handling disputes be sure to read our guidance on disputes and evidence.