Deposit Deductions · mydeposits
Cleaning Fee Deduction Under mydeposits? How to Dispute It
If your deposit is protected with mydeposits and your landlord is withholding money for cleaning fee, the process and the arguments that work both depend on which scheme is involved. Here's what matters for your specific situation.
How mydeposits disputes actually work
mydeposits is insurance-based — your landlord or agent keeps hold of the deposit money throughout the tenancy, and mydeposits insures it. You raise a dispute through the mydeposits online service. Because the landlord already holds the funds, mydeposits directs the landlord to pay any awarded amount directly. If a landlord fails to comply, mydeposits' insurance-backed guarantee means you're still paid — through a separate claims process rather than releasing held funds.
Because the money never physically sits with mydeposits, a landlord going unresponsive or insolvent is more likely to require the insurance guarantee route than with a custodial scheme like DPS.
What the law says about cleaning fee
A "professional clean" fee is only enforceable if your tenancy agreement specifically required it, and the property was returned in a worse state than at check-in. Ordinary wear from normal living is not a valid basis for a deduction, and a landlord charging a flat fee regardless of actual condition is on weak ground.
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Check my case freeWhat to gather before you dispute it
For a cleaning fee case with mydeposits, the evidence that actually moves the needle is invoices or receipts for the actual cleaning cost, plus a signed check-in inventory showing the starting condition. Without it, you're relying on the general legal principle alone — which still helps, but evidence wins disputes faster.
Frequently asked questions
- How does mydeposits handle a cleaning fee dispute?
- You raise a dispute through the mydeposits online service. Because the landlord already holds the funds, mydeposits directs the landlord to pay any awarded amount directly. If a landlord fails to comply, mydeposits' insurance-backed guarantee means you're still paid — through a separate claims process rather than releasing held funds.
- Can my landlord charge me for cleaning fee?
- A "professional clean" fee is only enforceable if your tenancy agreement specifically required it, and the property was returned in a worse state than at check-in. Ordinary wear from normal living is not a valid basis for a deduction, and a landlord charging a flat fee regardless of actual condition is on weak ground.