Deposit disputes are among the most winnable matters we handle, provided you do things in the right order and keep the paper trail.
Step one: put it in writing
Email, not a phone call. Ask for an itemised statement of every deduction with supporting invoices, and give a clear deadline.
Step two: check the scheme
If the deposit should have been protected in a scheme and was not, that is often the strongest point in the file.
Step three: a formal letter before action
A properly drafted letter setting out the claim, the amount and the deadline resolves a large share of these disputes without a hearing.
