Students 'twice as likely as other private tenants to lose deposits'

Students are considered to be almost twice as likely to lose their deposit at the end of a tenancy than any other renter in the private sector.

This analysis, from The Deposit Protection Service, says its records show that fewer than only 27.5 per cent of student receive 90 per cent or more of their deposit at the end of tenancies compared to around almost six in ten tenants nationally. 

“As well as asking their landlord to confirm where their deposit is protected, taking simple steps such as checking household inventories and communicating regularly with landlords can help ensure that deposits are returned in full" says Julian Foster, managing director at The DPS.

The need to clean the property after it has been vacated is the most common cause of deductions to tenancy deposits among students (32 per cent), followed by repairs (27 per cent), redecoration (20 per cent) and the replacement of lost or damaged items (19 per cent).

A DPS guide for students advises them to ensure they agree an inventory with other tenants before moving in (and take photographs to show the condition of the property), read and check their tenancy agreement, record all communications with agents or landlords in writing, report defects or problems promptly, and attend the check-out inspection at the end of the tenancy.