Cashpoint

Five out of six renters who appeal against their landlord withholding cash from their deposit get at least some of their money back.

New research from MoneySavingExpert.com found that almost one in four were paid back the entire disputed amount.

Private renters’ deposits must usually be put into one of three official government-backed tenancy deposit schemes – the Deposit Protection Scheme, mydeposits or the Tenancy Deposit Scheme – by landlords.

These schemes ensure you get a deposit back as long as you’ve paid your rent, met the terms of the tenancy agreement and didn’t damage the property.

If you disagree with your landlord on how much of the deposit you should get back at the end of a tenancy, each scheme offers a free dispute resolution service.