Deposit Disputes: How Cleaning Evidence Wins Your Money Back

Tenancy Deposit Scheme adjudicators compare the check-in inventory against the check-out report. If the property was clean at check-in (documented with photos) and you cannot prove it was clean at check-out, the landlord wins. The burden of proof is on whoever makes the claim — so if you want your deposit back, you need to prove the cleaning standard was met.

A receipt from a professional cleaning company is strong evidence. It shows you took reasonable steps to return the property in good condition. The receipt should include the company name, address, contact details, the date of the clean, the property address, the service provided and the amount paid.

If your cleaning company provides timestamped photos of the property after cleaning, this is the strongest evidence available. It shows the condition of each room, the date and time, and provides a visual record that an adjudicator can compare against the landlord inventory photos.

The three most common reasons tenants lose cleaning-related deposit claims: (1) no evidence at all — the tenant cleaned the property themselves but took no photos; (2) partial evidence — photos of some rooms but not the kitchen or oven interior; (3) timing mismatch — photos taken days before checkout rather than on the day of the clean.