Want a guaranteed way to ensure you don't lose out on your student house deposit? Well, you're in the right place! At the end of your tenancy, it's quite possible that you'll not remember every fine detail of the agreed check out. So when it’s time to say goodbye to your student digs, it's usually good practice to revisit the tenancy agreement and just refresh your memory so that don't fall foul of the following deposit stingers...

1. Checking the Inventory 
This probably sounds pretty obvious, but it’s exceptionally easy to overlook the properties inventory in the excitement of moving in and starting the new academic year. 

It’s up to you to make sure that everything – including pre-existing wear and tear on the property, like stains, marks and scuffs are recorded by the landlord/agent as early as possible (typically 1 week of moving in). That way, you won’t be charged for damage that was the result of the previous tenants. 

2. Mattress Protectors
Mattresses are the number one cause of lost deposits, that's why we swear by the use of waterproof mattresses protectors. A double-mattress is typically priced from £100 to £300 depending on the spec, so it's no wonder that if you damage or stain one of these, that's a huge chunk of your deposit gone.

Invest in a mattress protector (http://bit.ly/2hPti12) to safe guard the mattress from any unforeseen spillages or stains that might occur throughout your time in your student digs. 

3. Blu-tac/Sello Tape Marks
It’s a great inconvenience that a certain manufacturer has been making blue, sticky, adhesive stuff for many, many years now but still has not invented a formula that doesn’t stain walls for the rest of eternity. Just a couple of these pesky oily marks can mean you will be penalised and have to front the bill for repainting a whole wall, or sometimes even a whole room. 

A deposit-friendly alternative is 'White Tack' (http://amzn.to/2izoCkh) or Washi tape (http://amzn.to/2j3JMUl) - that way you won’t be left with marks or tape that pulls half the wallpaper off when you’re peeling it back!  

4. Lack of Cleaning
This goes for not only cleaning your bedroom but the whole student property as well. It's very common to overlook certain areas of the house - a quick vacuum here and a little wipe down there and that’ll do for the year but this is not the case and you will get hit with a cleaning bill. 

A very effective way of tackling this is to get super-organised and allocate a room per tenant. That way, if any charges come back, you know who is to blame.

It's also best to stay on top of cleaning as a rule and do a spring-clean every now and again to stop the build up of tough dirt on things like the oven, microwave and fridge/freezer. Also wipe down the dust on skirting boards - as this is another oversight by many students.

 

5. Finding Damp/Mould & Doing Something About It!
Damp and mould should be taken very seriously within any kind of home… Not only is it unattractive but it is also very unhealthy, be sure that you don’t let this go unnoticed! If you find any damp or mould in your student houses, get on it and wipe it down with bleach diluted water. 

If it persists make sure you let the landlord or agent know! Neglecting to report even the smallest amount of mould at the end of your tenancy can leave your pocket feeling a little lighter when it’s time for you to move out.

6. Malicious or Accidental Damage
General wear and tear is a given with any property and you should not be held responsible for little scuffs hear and there but there’s a big difference when it comes to malicious damage. Malicious damage can be counted as anything from burn marks caused by cigarettes or lighters, to food up walls or deliberately made holes! So, don’t go and put your fist through a wall!

If you’ve accidentally caused damage to furniture or the property, it's always best to report it immediately as that will act in your favour when considering a quote. On the other hand, trying to hide it or leaving it until the end of the tenancy will end badly for you!

We hope you found the above points helpful and should you follow them, it's highly likely that you'll have minimal charges to your deposit which will go towards that much needed travel budget or the new car you wanted! 

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