What happened: A tenant in Manchester moved out of a flat after two years. The letting agency deducted £800 from her £1,200 deposit for "professional cleaning and redecoration," despite her having photos from move-out day showing the flat in reasonable condition.
What actually applied: Her deposit had been protected in a Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDP) scheme, which meant any dispute over deductions had to go through that scheme's free adjudication service rather than the agency just deciding unilaterally.
What she did: She requested the TDP scheme's dispute process, submitting her move-in and move-out photos side by side, plus the original inventory report.
How it ended: The adjudicator ruled that "professional cleaning" wasn't justified beyond normal wear and tear, and awarded her £650 of the £800 back within three weeks.