Just over half the claims made by landlords against tenancy deposits in 2020 cited a need to clean or make repairs to the property or its contents, The Deposit Protection Service has revealed.

Costs for damage made up 27 per cent of claims, while cleaning was cited in 25 per cent and outstanding bills in just two per cent.

DPS managing director Matt Trevett says: “It can be very frustrating for both parties when a landlord feels they need to charge a tenant for problems that could have been addressed before they left the property.

“We always encourage landlords and tenants to stay in touch throughout the tenancy so everyone understands their obligations and can work together to find solutions before a tenancy ends.

“This includes an awareness of the standard to which a property must be cleaned when tenants vacate as well as the need to address any damage or wear and tear beyond what you might reasonably expect to have occurred during a normal tenancy of its length.”

Figures for 2020 from the DPS’s dispute resolution service show landlords who entered dispute were awarded at least some of their claim in 75 per cent of cases, with tenants awarded at least part of the amount claimed in 80 per cent of cases.

The DPS adds that around £4m of deposit money had gone to landlords through its resolution service process during 2020, although just three per cent of all tenancies had ended in dispute.