End of Tenancy Repairs: What to Fix Before You Move Out to Protect Your Deposit

Getting your end of tenancy repairs right can be the difference between getting your full deposit back and losing part of it. Most deductions come down to a handful of predictable problems: holes in the walls, broken handles, damaged flooring, mould around the bath and furniture that isn’t where the inventory says it should be. Nearly all of them can be fixed for less than a landlord would deduct.

This guide explains what a landlord can and can’t charge for, which repairs to do yourself and which to leave, and a room-by-room checklist to work through before your check-out inspection. We handle removals and property maintenance across St Albans, Hertfordshire and London, so we see both sides of move-out day.

Quick answer Landlords can deduct for damage, but not for fair wear and tear. Before you move out, fill small holes and touch up paint, fix loose handles and hinges, reseal mouldy silicone, replace blown bulbs, remove anything you put up without permission, and return the landlord’s furniture to its original room. Report anything major, structural, gas or electrical to your landlord rather than fixing it yourself. Photograph every room once it is empty and clean.

1. What can a landlord deduct from your deposit?

In England, deposits for most private tenancies must be protected in a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme. At the end of the tenancy, the landlord can propose deductions for things like unpaid rent, missing items, cleaning needed to return the property to its check-in condition, and damage beyond fair wear and tear. You can read the official rules on GOV.UK’s tenancy deposit protection page. Scotland and Wales have their own schemes with similar principles.

The key document is your check-in inventory. It records the condition of the property when you moved in, and it is what the landlord or agent will compare against at check-out. If a mark was there at check-in, you should not be charged for it. If it wasn’t, you may be, unless it counts as fair wear and tear.

2. What counts as fair wear and tear, and what counts as damage?

Fair wear and tear is the natural decline that happens with normal use over time. Damage is harm caused by accident, carelessness or misuse. The line isn’t always sharp, and the length of your tenancy matters: more wear is expected after five years than after one.

Usually fair wear and tear	Usually damage
Carpet worn thin in walkways	Carpet burns, large stains or pet damage
Light scuffs on walls and skirting boards	Large holes, gouges or crayon and pen marks
Faded curtains and paintwork from sunlight	Walls painted a new colour without permission
A few small picture-hook holes	Many holes, heavy wall plugs or damaged plaster
Loose door handles after years of use	Broken doors, snapped handles or damaged hinges
Minor wear to kitchen worktops	Burns, deep cuts or water-swollen worktops
Slightly discoloured bath sealant	Black mould left untreated over time

3. Which repairs should you do yourself, and which should you leave?

Not every repair is worth doing yourself, and some you shouldn’t attempt at all.

Fix yourself	Get a professional	Report to the landlord, don’t fix
Small nail and screw holes	Larger holes and damaged plaster	Boiler, heating and hot water faults
Touching up paint in the original colour	Repainting whole walls or ceilings neatly	Anything to do with gas
Tightening loose handles and hinges	Doors that stick, drop or won’t close	Electrical faults, sockets and wiring
Replacing blown bulbs	Damaged laminate or floorboards	Leaks, damp and roof problems
Cleaning and resealing around the bath	Kitchen cupboard doors that have dropped	Structural cracks
Re-hanging curtains and blinds	Removing wall-mounted TV brackets and making good	Broken windows and external doors

Landlords are normally responsible for repairs to the structure and exterior of the building, and to heating, hot water, gas and electrical installations. If something in that category breaks, report it in writing. Fixing it yourself could make things worse and may not be allowed under your agreement.

4. What should you check room by room?

Work through each room with your check-in inventory beside you.

Walls, doors and windows

• Fill small holes, sand flush and touch up with the original paint colour.
• Wipe off scuffs and remove Blu Tack and tape marks carefully.
• Tighten door handles and hinges; check every door closes and latches.
• Check window handles and locks work, and that all window keys are there.

Kitchen

• Realign dropped cupboard doors and tighten hinges.
• Check drawers run smoothly and handles are secure.
• Check worktop edges and joints for lifting or water damage.
• Make sure every appliance on the inventory is present and working.

Bathroom

• Clean mould from sealant and grout; reseal if it won’t come clean.
• Check taps don’t drip and the toilet flushes and fills properly.
• Check the shower head, hose, towel rail and toilet seat are secure.

Floors

• Check for lifting laminate, loose floorboards and damaged carpet edges.
• For damaged flooring, get it looked at before check-out; see our flooring repairs service.

Fixtures, furniture and garden

• Replace blown bulbs and test smoke alarms.
• Re-hang any curtains, blinds or rails you took down.
• Put the landlord’s furniture back in the rooms listed on the inventory, reassembled.
• Leave the garden as the tenancy agreement requires: usually tidy, mown and weeded.

5. What about things you put up yourself?

Shelves, TV brackets, curtain poles, coat hooks and extra fixings are a common source of deductions. The general rule is simple: if you added it, remove it and make good, unless the landlord has agreed in writing that it can stay.

Making good means filling the holes, sanding them smooth and painting over them so the wall looks as it did at check-in. Heavy fixings like TV brackets often leave large holes with wall plugs that need removing and filling properly, which is harder to do neatly than it looks. If the landlord is happy for something to stay, get that in writing before you leave.

6. When should you do repairs around moving day?

Many repairs are easier once the furniture has gone, but you need to leave time before the check-out inspection.

When	What to do
3 to 4 weeks before	Walk round with the check-in inventory and list every issue; ask the landlord about anything you are unsure of
2 weeks before	Book any professional repairs and cleaning; order paint in the original colour
The week before	Do the small fixes you can do with furniture still in place
Moving day	Once the removal van has left, deal with the walls and floors that were hidden behind furniture
Before check-out	Final clean, final photos, return keys and give your forwarding address

Moving furniture often reveals marks that nobody knew were there, which is why the day the rooms are empty is the most useful time to do a final repair round.

7. How do you protect yourself at check-out?

1. Compare against the check-in inventory. Go room by room and note anything that differs.
2. Photograph and video everything. Every room, every wall, and close-ups of repairs, once the property is empty and clean.
3. Take meter readings. Photograph them and send them to your suppliers.
4. Attend the check-out inspection if you can. It lets you discuss any issues on the spot.
5. Return every key. Including window, shed and garage keys, and get confirmation that they were received.
6. Give your forwarding address. So the deposit paperwork reaches you.

For everyone else who needs your new address, see our complete list of who to notify when moving house.

8. What if you disagree with the deductions?

First, ask the landlord or agent for a breakdown of each deduction with evidence, such as photos or quotes. Many disagreements are settled at this stage, especially if your own photos show the property’s condition.

If you still can’t agree, the deposit protection scheme holding your deposit offers a free dispute resolution service. An independent adjudicator looks at the evidence from both sides, including the inventories and photos, and decides how the deposit is split. This is why your check-in inventory and check-out photos matter so much.

9. How Shaheen Express Removals can help

Most people move out and then find they have a list of small repairs and no time to do them. Because we handle both removals and property maintenance, we can take care of both sides of move-out day.

• Removals. House removals and man and van across St Albans, Hertfordshire, Luton, Essex and London.
• Maintenance and repairs. Filling and painting, doors, handles, hinges and cupboard fixes through our maintenance and repairs service.
• Carpentry and flooring. Through our local carpentry services, including flooring repairs.
• Furniture dismantling and reassembly. We take your furniture apart for the move, and can reassemble the landlord’s items where they belong. See furniture removals.
• Trusted locally. Rated 5.0 from 444 Google reviews, over 20 years in removals, fully insured and DBS-checked staff.

Moving out of a rented home? Call 07903 494502, send us photos on WhatsApp or request a quote online. Tell us your moving date and the repairs you need, and we will quote the move and the repairs together.

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