Deposit Deductions · TDS
General Damage Deduction Under TDS? How to Dispute It
If your deposit is protected with TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) 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 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 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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For a general damage case with TDS, 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 TDS handle a general damage 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 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.