Deposit Deductions · mydeposits
General Damage Deduction Under mydeposits? How to Dispute It
If your deposit is protected with mydeposits and your landlord is withholding money for general damage, 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 general damage
A "damage" claim must still be specific. Your landlord has to show exactly what was damaged, its condition at check-in, and the genuine cost of repair — not replacement, and not a vague, unevidenced sum.
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Check my case freeWhat to gather before you dispute it
For a general damage case with mydeposits, the evidence that actually moves the needle is an itemised breakdown of the claimed damage and a genuine quote or invoice for repair, not just replacement cost. 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 general damage 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 general damage?
- A "damage" claim must still be specific. Your landlord has to show exactly what was damaged, its condition at check-in, and the genuine cost of repair — not replacement, and not a vague, unevidenced sum.