Getting started
Landlord deducted with no invoice or breakdown?
Landlords must support deposit deductions with evidence — invoices, photos, check-in comparison — not just a total figure. A written challenge naming missing proof is one of the strongest opening moves in any UK deposit dispute.
How to challenge deposit deductions when the landlord provides no invoice, photos or itemised breakdown — and why missing evidence often weakens their case.
"We are retaining £650 from your deposit" — with no attachment, no line items, no dates. It happens constantly. Landlords and agents are not entitled to keep money because a tenant left; they need to justify each pound. When evidence is missing, your first response should name that gap explicitly, not just say the amount feels unfair.
What landlords should provide
- Itemised list of each deduction with amounts
- Invoices or quotes from real suppliers
- Photos linking damage or cleaning to specific areas
- Check-in comparison showing change in condition
- Explanation of why repair not replacement, or localised not full-property work
Common missing-evidence patterns
- Single round number with no breakdown
- Check-out report ticks with no photos
- Cleaning fee with no receipt
- Repair invoice with no description of tenant causation
- Replacement cost at retail price with no age or condition context
- Deductions sent by text message only
How to challenge without sounding difficult
Stay factual. You are not obstructing — you are asking for the material any scheme adjudicator will need anyway. Calm, numbered requests read better than angry paragraphs.
- Acknowledge receipt of their message
- State you dispute until itemised evidence is provided
- List each missing element (invoice, photos, check-in page)
- Set out your own evidence briefly (move-out photos, etc.)
- Reserve right to escalate to the deposit scheme
Link missing proof to specific deduction types
Once a breakdown arrives, route each line to the right argument. Cleaning without invoice → cleaning guide. Repair without causation → repair guide. Damage without check-in → no inventory guide. This page is the umbrella; detailed fights live in those topic guides.
What if they never send evidence?
Upload your request emails and note "no breakdown provided" in your scheme submission. Adjudicators often weigh unsupported claims poorly when the tenant's pack is organised — especially with dated photos and clear deduction responses.
Common questions
Is a check-out report enough evidence?
It is a start, not proof of cost or cause. Challenge tick-box reports without photos and always ask for invoices behind monetary claims.
They sent a breakdown but no invoices — is that better?
Slightly — you can now dispute line by line. Still challenge unsupported amounts and missing check-in comparison.
Can I refuse to pay any amount without evidence?
You can dispute in writing and through the scheme. The adjudicator decides based on what each side submitted.
Does this apply to agents and landlords equally?
Yes. Whoever withholds deposit money needs to justify it with evidence, regardless of whether they are a landlord or letting agent.
Ready to build your dispute pack?
Answer a few questions, upload evidence, and generate a structured response for £29 before you send it.