Deposit Deduction Calculator
Work out a defensible deposit deduction by adjusting a replacement cost for the item age and expected life, as adjudicators do.
💼 Are you a real estate agent or broker? Send this calculator to your buyers on your own branded listing page — every enquiry comes straight to your WhatsApp. Create free agent page →Deposit adjudicators do not award the cost of a new item for a damaged old one, because that would leave the landlord better off than before. They apportion: an item already halfway through its life is worth half its replacement cost, and the deduction is reduced accordingly.
Both sides benefit from doing this arithmetic before arguing. Landlords who claim full replacement cost for a worn item routinely lose the whole deduction; tenants who understand the calculation can settle a fair figure without adjudication.
The method adjudicators use
Deduction = replacement cost × (remaining life ÷ total expected life). An item at the end of its life has no residual value, so no deduction is defensible however damaged it is. Fair wear and tear over the tenancy is never chargeable at all.
Worked example
A carpet costing 900 to replace, with a ten-year expected life, damaged when six years old, has four years of life left. The defensible deduction is 900 × 4 ÷ 10 = 360. Claiming the full 900 would be a 540 overclaim, and in adjudication it frequently results in the entire deduction being refused.
Evidence decides it, not the formula
The calculation only works if the item age and original condition can be shown, which is what the check-in inventory and dated photographs are for. Without them, the adjudicator has no basis to accept a deduction at all.
Turn a calculation into an enquiry
Buyers who run these numbers are ready to talk. Give every listing its own page with your photo, phone and WhatsApp on it — leads land straight on your phone.
Create your free property pageFrequently asked questions
What is a typical expected life?
Commonly five to ten years for carpets depending on quality, ten to fifteen for kitchen units, three to five for interior paintwork and ten or more for major appliances. Adjudicators use published guidance ranges rather than a single figure.
Can a landlord charge for cleaning?
Only to return the property to the standard recorded at check-in, evidenced by the inventory. A blanket requirement for professional cleaning regardless of condition is unenforceable in several jurisdictions.
What if there is no check-in inventory?
The landlord usually cannot prove the condition at the start, so deductions generally fail. This is why a signed, dated, photographed inventory is worth more than any clause in the tenancy agreement.