Tenant deposit disputes down so far this year

July 2, 2020

The number of rental deposit disputes lodged with Hamilton Fraser’s government-authorised deposit scheme, mydeposits, has fallen by -15% across England so far this year.

Analysis of the data by Hamilton Fraser’s sister company and deposit replacement provider Ome found that London, the South East and the North East have all seen the largest drop in deposit disputes (-23%) so far in 2020 when compared to the same time last year.

Deposit disputes are also down in the West Midlands (-16%), Yorkshire and the Humber (-11%), East of England (-8%) and the North West (-2%).

The East Midlands (11%) and the South West (18%) are the only regions to see an increase in deposit disputes in comparison to the same time frame last year.

While London has seen one of the largest declines it is still home to the most disputes. The capital accounts for 37% of all disputes lodged so far this year, with the South East (16%) and South West (10%) also accounting for a large percentage.

At 2%, the North East is home to the lowest number of deposit disputes as a percentage of all disputes in England.

The main reason for withholding a deposit has been for post-tenancy cleaning, which accounts for 26% of all deposit disputes. Damage to the property and the deposit not being returned in the first place are also some of the most common reasons that deposits were withheld (20%).

The average deposit amount being disputed has remained unchanged at £811, however, there has been a slight swing in the proportion of deposit being awarded.

On average, tenants are being awarded 2% less of the average deposit when compared to last year, while landlords are receiving 2% more on the average deposit dispute.

That said, tenants are still being awarded 67% of their deposit via the average dispute claim.

Table shows the percentage increase in deposits between Jan and May of this year and last year, as well as the current percentage of total deposits by region.
Location
Percentage increase in disputes year on year
Current disputes as a percentage of total
Jan-May 2019 to Jan-May 2020
Jan-May 2020
London
-23%
37%
South East
-23%
16%
South West
18%
10%
North West
-2%
9%
East of England
-8%
8%
East Midlands
11%
6%
West Midlands
-16%
6%
Yorkshire and the Humber
-11%
4%
North East
-23%
2%
England
-15%
N/A
Table shows the average amount of a deposit being disputed and the year on year change.
Location
Average amounts disputed
Percentage increase year on year
Jan-May 2020
Jan-May 2019 to Jan-May 2020
East Midlands
£696
3.4%
East of England
£916
9.0%
London
£1,338
-1.4%
North East
£597
-9.4%
North West
£605
-9.3%
South East
£1,033
8.2%
South West
£706
-5.6%
West Midlands
£784
-2.9%
Yorkshire and the Humber
£620
4.3%
England
£810.5
-0.1%
Table shows the percentage of disputed deposit awarded to both tenant and landlord and the annual change
Location
Average amount of deposit awarded to Tenants
Change %
Average amount of deposit awarded to Landlords
Change %
(Jan to May 2020)
(Jan to May 2020)
East Midlands
68%
-2%
32%
2%
East of England
64%
-5%
36%
5%
London
72%
-2%
28%
2%
North East
64%
7%
36%
-7%
North West
62%
-3%
38%
3%
South East
69%
0%
31%
0%
South West
65%
-4%
35%
4%
West Midlands
73%
6%
27%
-6%
Yorkshire and the Humber
58%
-11%
42%
11%
England
67%
-2%
33%
2%
Table shows the reason for all disputed deposit by region and nationally
Location
Cleaning
Damage to property
Deposit not returned
Redecoration
Missing items
Other deductions
Rent arrears
East Midlands
32%
18%
25%
13%
3%
9%
1%
East of England
27%
14%
24%
20%
2%
10%
3%
London
22%
24%
18%
16%
6%
12%
3%
North East
26%
22%
20%
20%
4%
10%
0%
North West
30%
20%
17%
18%
5%
8%
3%
South East
31%
22%
17%
15%
4%
8%
3%
South West
32%
18%
18%
20%
3%
8%
1%
West Midlands
25%
11%
41%
18%
2%
2%
1%
Yorkshire and the Humber
22%
22%
19%
25%
4%
6%
2%
England
26%
20%
20%
17%
4%
9%
2%

Properganda PR

National and local media coverage for property businesses. Journo quotes delivered in minutes.

You May Also Enjoy

Home and Living

Signs of Outdated Wiring in Older Tulsa-Area Homes

Tulsa has a lot of beautiful older homes. Brookside bungalows, Maple Ridge tudors, the postwar neighborhoods that fill out Midtown and East Tulsa. They were built well, but most were built before central air, before microwaves, before two-car households with two laptops and a dozen phone chargers. The electrical systems inside them were designed for…
Read More →
LIVING BY THE SEASIDE 2022
Breaking News

Britain’s seaside price hotspots revealed

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals Britain’s seaside hotspots where prices are rising the fastest Bootle in Merseyside leads the way, with average asking prices up 11% year-on-year, followed by Crosby in Liverpool (+9%) and Penarth in South Glamorgan (+9%) Other coastal locations including Llantwit Major in South Glamorgan (+8%) and Llanelli, in Carmarthenshire (+7%) are also seeing strong price growth Average asking prices are currently 0.3% lower in Great Britain compared to last year, with some seaside hotspots outpacing the…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Hertfordshire emerges as strongest performing London commuter county

New research from UK Property Development reveals that while London property prices fell by more than -3% in the past year, prices in some of the capital’s surrounding counties have enjoyed positive growth, none more so than the premium commuter county of Hertfordshire.   In the past year, London’s average house price has fallen by…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Second homes losing appeal among the rich

New Survey Reveals Ongoing Maintenance Is the Biggest Barrier to Second Home Ownership   62% say upkeep and hassle would stop them from buying a second home, even if money were no object   A new survey conducted by luxury co-ownership platform Equity Residences has revealed that the practical realities of owning a second home…
Read More →
Letting Agent Talk

How to build a property portfolio with buy-to-let mortgages

One of the reasons property is such a popular asset choice for investors is that you don’t need to invest all the money yourself; you can leverage funds from the bank. Here’s a very simplistic example of how borrowing via a buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage allows you to multiply your returns versus owning a property all-cash:…
Read More →
Home and Living

2026’s Fastest-Growing Bathroom Trend Is the Wet Room

“Wet rooms have become one of the standout bathroom upgrades of 2026, moving from luxury extra to everyday renovation choice as more homeowners prioritise space, style and easy cleaning. The momentum is only building as spa‑style bathrooms stay in demand.” “Wet rooms used to be a niche request,” says Ant Langston, Marketing Manager at Heat…
Read More →