Deposit Deductions · TDS
Cleaning Fee Deduction Under TDS? How to Dispute It
If your deposit is protected with TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) 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 TDS disputes actually work
TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) is the only scheme offering both custodial and insured protection, and the only one open to letting agents as members in their own right. You raise a dispute through TDS's online case portal. Both sides are given 14 days to submit evidence — photos, the check-in/check-out inventory, receipts, correspondence. An independent adjudicator then reviews everything and decides on the balance of probabilities, usually within 30 working days. The decision is binding, with no internal appeal.
TDS's own 2024/25 statistical briefing found cleaning was the single most common trigger for a dispute, appearing in 54% of all cases it handled that year.
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 TDS, 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 TDS handle a cleaning fee dispute?
- You raise a dispute through TDS's online case portal. Both sides are given 14 days to submit evidence — photos, the check-in/check-out inventory, receipts, correspondence. An independent adjudicator then reviews everything and decides on the balance of probabilities, usually within 30 working days. The decision is binding, with no internal appeal.
- 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.