Deposit Deductions · mydeposits
Marks on Walls / Redecoration Deduction Under mydeposits? How to Dispute It
If your deposit is protected with mydeposits and your landlord is withholding money for redecoration or wall marks, 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 redecoration or wall marks
Scuffed paintwork and small nail holes from hanging pictures are ordinary wear and tear after any reasonable length of occupation, not tenant damage. Interior paintwork is also generally expected to need refreshing every few years regardless of tenancy.
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Check my case freeWhat to gather before you dispute it
For a redecoration or wall marks case with mydeposits, the evidence that actually moves the needle is photos of wall condition at move-out, and how long it had been since the property was last decorated before you moved in. 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 redecoration or wall marks 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 redecoration or wall marks?
- Scuffed paintwork and small nail holes from hanging pictures are ordinary wear and tear after any reasonable length of occupation, not tenant damage. Interior paintwork is also generally expected to need refreshing every few years regardless of tenancy.