Hi Mo, Thank you for your review. We understand that you vacated the property managed by us in March this year, after residing there for the previous 12 months. Following your departure, we instructed an independent inventory company to carry out a formal checkout inspection. This is a standard practice to ensure an impartial assessment of the property's condition. The checkout report identified several issues, including cleanliness concerns, damage to furnishings, and damage to the decoration caused by a significant number of stickers on walls and ceilings in the bedrooms and lounge. You mentioned the broken fence and bath panel—these were indeed noted in the checkout report to evidence their condition. However, as you correctly pointed out, these issues were also recorded in the original inventory report, and therefore, no deductions were made from your deposit in relation to them. The report also noted a substantial amount of rubbish left both inside and outside the property. Among these items was a small, soiled foam mattress inner (without its cover). Given the volume and nature of the abandoned items, it was reasonable to conclude these were intentionally left behind. It’s important to note that you were provided with a copy of the checkout report, which detailed these findings, and at no point prior to or following the property clearance did you request the retrieval of any of the listed items. Based on the checkout findings, quotes were obtained to address the identified issues. These quotes totalled £1,720, which exceeded your deposit amount of £1,615. As a result, the landlord requested the full deposit be claimed to cover the costs, and this was communicated to you. Since you disagreed with the deductions, you were invited to raise a formal dispute with the Deposit Protection Service (DPS), who handle such matters independently. Both parties were given the opportunity to submit comments and supporting evidence. While you did provide commentary, you did not submit any evidence to support your position. The DPS subsequently reviewed the case and found in favour of the landlord, awarding them the full deposit amount. Regarding the cleaning: although you may have arranged for professional cleaners to carry out the end-of-tenancy clean, if the quality of cleaning does not meet the original move-in standard, the landlord is entitled to seek reimbursement from the deposit to bring the property back to that condition. If you believe the service provided by your cleaners was unsatisfactory, we recommend raising this with the cleaning company directly. Lastly, the property was freshly decorated prior to your tenancy, so we must respectfully disagree with your suggestion that it was in a better condition at the end of your tenancy than at the start. If you have any further questions or wish to discuss this matter further, please feel free to contact us directly. Best regards, Martin & Co Ashford