Top Tips To Get Your Deposit Back
Avoid the headache of unexpected charges and delays in getting your deposit back with our nifty guide, filled with advice and the top reasons people usually lose a chunk of their deposit.
Let’s dive in!
We know how it is, you’ve had a year in an awesome property with your friends, you’ve had a few parties, the odd drink has been spilled and nobody has cleaned that bathroom for way too long! But your tenancy is coming to an end in a few weeks and you want to make sure you get your deposit back. We know that safeguarding your deposit return is important because, let’s face it, we all have better things to spend our money on, like textbooks or a night out with friends. We’re here to guide you through making sure you get every penny back.
Oops, Did I Do That?
OK, so we expect a little wear and tear, it’s only natural, but a hair straightener burn on the carpet and a drink spilled up a wall? That might cost ya! Before rushing to hide it with a rug, or a strategically placed picture, consider fixing minor mishaps yourself or informing us to get a quote, it could save your wallet from a hefty last minute deduction.
To start, a good rule of thumb is ask yourself the question “Would I be happy to move into the property based on how I’ve left it?” If the answers “No” then follow these steps below.
1. Cleaning
When it’s time to move out, a little elbow grease might be needed to return the place to its original glory. We expect the property to be handed back to us in the condition it was provided to you, which is cleaned to a professional standard. So before you return the keys, time to grab some marigold gloves and get cleaning or convince your parents to come and lend a hand. It’s also best to move furniture and clean behind places that gather dust and grime.
Here’s a list of typical cleaning charges per house depending on condition should we have to send in a cleaning team to do an end of tenancy deep clean.
4 Bed: £150-£300
5 Bed: £200-£350
6 Bed: £300-£450
7 Bed: £400-£550
8 Bed: £400-£650
Oven Cleans: £40 (per oven)
Carpet Cleaning: £30 – £50 for a room or £150 – £250 for the whole house depending on the size of the property.
You may be able to get these costs cheaper if you employ a professional cleaning company yourself to clean the property for you when you leave. However, if you need any recommendations just ask we’d be happy to help.
2. Decor
We all love to personalise our rooms, but those cool posters and pictures of friends and family have to come down before you move out! Hopefully you haven’t covered the walls in sticky LED lights or Blutack as this damages the decor. Usually, it’s a breeze to revert the room to its original condition, and trust us, your wallet will thank you in the long run. We are happy to provide a check out inspection prior to your tenancy ending so we can show you what you will need to sort and help you get painting quotes if needed. The decor needs to be as it was when you started your tenancy as we spend a lot of time and money making the place look smart. Again, would you be happy to move into a property with how the decor looks at the end of your tenancy?
3. Furniture
If you have damaged something during your tenancy just let us know at the time or before you move out. It’ll be way cheaper for you to replace something if we send you the link of where to buy it rather than we then find out after you’ve moved out. Don’t try to hide it, it’s better to be upfront and honest. Be it a chest of drawers, desk or a chair, it’s pretty easy to buy it and build it yourself. Otherwise if we have to buy it, pay a tradesman to build it and dispose of the old broken items you’re going to be charged more than doing it yourself. Also make sure you check the inventory of where items were located when you moved in, so whilst it was hilarious on that drunken night to hide your housemates belongings and all the furniture in the bike store, don’t be surprised if we charge you for the time to have to return it to where it was if you leave it there.
4. Gardens
Now; whilst we’ve never met a group of students that are into gardening, it’s worth mentioning that gardens fall under tenants responsibility. Don’t panic we’re not expecting the garden to look like something from Chelsea Flower Show, but weeding, removing rubbish and cigarette butts are things you can do to save yourself getting charged. Most of our gardens are pretty low maintenance so get your housemates to grab a pair of gardening gloves and spend an hour giving the garden a once over. It will cost you a lot less than our gardening contractors if you just leave it like a jungle.
5. Rubbish
Take a trip to the tip prior to moving out, as it’s free for you to throw it away VS being charged by us for disposing of rubbish. Don’t leave stuff for future tenants, remove any old pots and pans or other items from the kitchen as well as boxes, bottles and left over food in the fridge/freezer. The house needs to be returned empty and free from rubbish.
Don’t cram everything into the recycling bin and hope for the best, as if the council won’t take it as part of their weekly collection, we will charge you for disposing of any rubbish left.
6. Take It Or Lose It
Don’t forget to take everything with you when you leave, we’re not going to let you know that you’ve left your toothbrush and favourite slippers behind. We don’t operate a lost property service so be sure to give the house and your room a quick check over to make sure you have everything. As once you hand back the keys, anything that’s been left will go in a skip and you’ll be charged for its disposal.
7. Returning Keys
Please make sure you drop all keys back to our office. You will have signed for a full set when you moved in, so that’s what we will expect when you check out. It’s best to collect all keys from your house mates, pop them in an envelope labelled with the address and one of your group comes to sign them back in at our office on the day you move out.
We’ve heard it all before:
“I’ve left my keys in a drawer”
“Dave has my key, get them from him”
“I’ll post it to you”
None of these will suffice, we won’t go hunting for keys. So save yourself the hassle as missing keys will incur a £25 charge per key.
8. Late Checkout
We’re not a hotel, there’s no late checkouts, your tenancy runs until midnight on the last day of your tenancy so you need to have moved out and taken all items by this date at the latest.
Otherwise you’ll incur extra rent for days and possibly other fees for re-booking checkout inventories.
So When Can I Expect My Deposit Back?
Hopefully you’ve followed the points above and the house looks just like it did when you moved in. We will then email you any proposed dilapidations charges within 10 days of your tenancy ending. If you haven’t received an email, don’t worry, on the 11th day after your tenancy ending, send an email to hello@bunked.co.uk formally requesting your deposit back along with you full name, property address, bank details and your contact details. Once you agree to any charges your deposit will be returned 10 days later. The sooner you accept any charges the sooner your deposit will hit your bank account.
Be Realistic On Costs
We understand that it’s frustrating being charged for things but remember to be realistic with your expectations on how much things cost. We employ companies to come in to put the property back to its original condition if you haven’t left it as you found it; and they will charge a profit margin on their time and materials, so it’s best to get it done before you move out.
For example: A charge of £5 per lightbulb may seem a lot when you can buy a pack of 4 for £6 in B&Q, but we have to pay a tradesman to drive there, pick some up and then fit it and he will be charging a profit margin too on his time and the lightbulbs, so of course it’s going to cost more than you doing it yourself.
We will only pass on costs to you that we incur.
Navigating the Rough Waters of Deposit Disputes
In the off chance that a disagreement arises over your deposit, don’t sweat it! Keep your cool and approach the matter diplomatically. A well-articulated letter to us with your concerns and supporting evidence can go a long way. And remember, it’s always best to keep things amicable with us before taking further action as this takes even longer if we have to go to dispute.
We hope this guide helps you make a smooth transition out of our property and on to new adventures with your full deposit in hand! Thanks for living in one of our properties, we hope you’ve had a blast.