A deduction should compensate for a supported loss. Replacing an old item with a new one can improve the landlord's position beyond the damage attributable to the tenant.
Establish the baseline
- Identify how old the item was and its condition at check-in.
- Consider ordinary use and any earlier damage.
- Avoid inventing a purchase date where records are missing; state the evidence and uncertainty.
Choose a reasonable remedy
- Compare repair, cleaning and replacement where suitable.
- Use a comparable replacement rather than an upgraded specification.
- Allow for the part of the item's useful life already consumed.
Present the proposal
- Show the cost, assumptions and allowance clearly.
- Keep other items separate so one disputed claim does not obscure the rest.
- Use the scheme's dispute process if the tenant disagrees.
Explain a proposed contribution rather than charging for new
A calculation is a reasoned proposal, not an automatic entitlement.
- First consider whether a reasonable repair will address the loss. If replacement is necessary, document the old item's age and condition, the comparable replacement and the remaining value affected.
- A fictional £600 item expected to last six years and already four years old would have £200 of straight-line remaining value. That illustration is not a legal tariff: the actual evidence may justify a different amount or no award.
- Exclude upgrades, ordinary renewal and amounts already recovered elsewhere. Explain the basis to the tenant and allow the deposit scheme to determine a dispute.
Example: an illustrative allowance
Suppose a fictional £400 item had an evidenced expected life of eight years and was six years old when irreparably damaged. A simple remaining-life illustration is £100, not £400. Actual condition, evidence and a suitable repair may lead to a different justified figure.
What to do
- Establish the item's age, starting condition and damage.
- Consider repair and the remaining useful value.
- Explain the proportionate calculation with evidence.
Evidence to keep
- Inventory, purchase or age information and damage photographs.
- Quotes, repair options and calculation assumptions.
Sources and guidance
- Deposit protection schemes and landlordsUK Government · checked 20 October 2026
- Taking a deposit as a private landlordScottish Government · checked 20 October 2026
- Fair wear, betterment and reasonable deposit claimsDeposit Protection Service: scheme guidance · checked 20 October 2026