As exam time approaches for University students across the UK, many are starting to think about where they are going to live during the next academic year. Some may be finishing their course and starting new employment. Either way, if you are leaving a rented property, ideally you want to get your full bond back, particularly as you will have to pay a new bond when you move into new rented accommodation.
There will be a condition in your student accommodation lease indicating that you are entitled to a full refund of your bond at the end of your tenancy, provided you return the property in a reasonable condition, and there are no outstanding payments (eg rent, repairs and cleaning).
Exit inspection of Student Accommodation
Most landlords or their agents will carry out an exit inspection at the end of the tenancy so students need to empty the property of their possessions, clean the property thoroughly and ensure the accommodation is in the same condition as when you first moved in (other than normal wear and tear). If you don’t abide by the terms of the agreement, then you could lose part or all your bond to pay for cleaning fees and repairs.
At JDK Cleaning, we have found over the years, that many students don’t get their bond back because they have not handed the property over in the condition the landlord expects. And though it is not compulsory to have the accommodation professionally cleaned, it is far more cost effective to do so compared to losing the entire bond.
Also, if you are moving away from the town, city or country where you have been living, it’s best to arrange your exit inspection in advance of your leaving date. This is particularly important for overseas students as, although you don’t need to be present at the inspection, any dispute over the bond will be difficult to deal with if you are overseas.
Bond refund claims for Students
Once you and your landlord have completed the exit inspection, and agreed on the amount of bond money to be refunded, there will be a tenancy deposit release form to sign.
If your landlord does not agree to return your full bond without good reason, there are a number of agencies you can contact to help resolve this situation including the Tenancy Services website.
Ideally you want to avoid any costly court action, so it’s far better to sort any issues out face to face, which can be addressed during the exit inspection if possible. If you don’t agree with the landlords refusal to refund all or part of you bond, don’t sign the tenancy deposit release form as you can’t dispute the refund once this is signed.
JDK Cleaning
At JDK Cleaning, we not only offer landlords an end of tenancy cleaning service, but increasingly we are asked by students to come in before an exit inspection to ensure the property is cleaned to the highest possible standards.
To find out more about our student cleaning costs call us on the number below:
