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  1. Details
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10 days left to send your evidenceDeadline (estimated) Saturday 17 October 2026. Always check the date on your scheme notification.

How strong is your evidence?

We’ve matched your evidence to each deduction and weighed it up. This describes your evidence: it isn’t legal advice, and it doesn’t predict a decision.

Supported by your evidence

£763.33

of £1,190.00 claimed

  • Lounge carpet replacement: £640.00, strong
  • Lounge carpet stain treatment: £95.00, strong
  • Picture glass replacement: £35.00, strong
  • Lounge walls redecoration: £420.00, strong
  • 4 strong

Strong and moderate deductions, at their value after fair wear and tear. Weak ones aren’t counted.

Worth a second look

  • Lounge carpet replacement: claimed above its value after wear and tear.

What weakens the evidence

  • Claimed above its value after fair wear and tear1 deduction

Lounge carpet replacement

Damage · lounge

£640.00

Check-inCheck-out

Why

Wear and tear

Looks like more than wear and tear

The carpet shows two burn marks with melted fibres and a red wine stain, both recorded at check-out but absent at check-in. These are accidental damage beyond normal wear from two occupants over 23 months. Check-in inventory, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, BristolCheck-out report, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, Bristol

Its value after wear and tear

5 years old, with 2 years, 6 months of its life left: £213.33 of the £640.00 claimed.

DPS’s guide gives 5–10 years; we use 7 years, 6 months. Its age comes from your evidence.

Evidence for this deduction
At check-in
Check-in inventory, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, BristolOatmeal wool twist, fitted August 2021. Very good condition: no stains, burns or wear marks.
Blank beige wall surface
At check-out
Ceiling stain with surrounding marksLarge dark red stain in the middle with fainter pink halo and about seven small red spots scattered nearby.
Ceiling damage with dark marksA larger dark brown-black burnt-looking hole with scorched edges and small specks around it, in the upper left of the surface.
Check-out report, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, BristolTwo burn marks in front of the fireplace, approx. 4cm and 2cm, fibres melted.
What would make it stronger (3)
  • Photographs of the carpet damage taken at check-out, showing the burn marks and wine stain from floor level.Check your phone, the check-out inspector's records, or the letting agent's files for photos taken during the final inspection.
  • Evidence of the carpet's exact dimensions or the room size to verify the 16m² stated in the quote.Measure the lounge or check the original fitting invoice or specification from August 2021.
  • Confirmation that the quoted replacement carpet is of equivalent quality and type to the original wool twist.Ask the flooring company for details of the carpet specification, or check the original purchase invoice from 2021.

Lounge carpet stain treatment

Cleaning · lounge

£95.00

Check-inCheck-out

Why

Wear and tear

Looks like more than wear and tear

A red wine stain of approximately 35cm is not ordinary wear and tear from normal use over 23 months by two occupants; it is accidental damage caused by spillage. The check-in report recorded no stains, and the checkout report and photo show a substantial stain that went beyond the property's condition at the start. Check-in inventory, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, BristolCheck-out report, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, BristolCeiling stain with surrounding marks

Its value after wear and tear

This pays for a repair or a clean, so the item’s age doesn’t reduce it.

Evidence for this deduction
At check-in
Blank beige wall surface
Check-in inventory, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, BristolOatmeal wool twist, fitted August 2021. Very good condition: no stains, burns or wear marks.
At check-out
Check-out report, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, BristolRed wine stain approx. 35cm by the coffee table.
Ceiling stain with surrounding marksLarge dark red stain in the middle of the picture with a fainter pink halo around it and about seven small red spots scattered nearby.
What would make it stronger (2)
  • A dated photo of the stain taken at checkout or shortly after, showing its location and extent clearly in relation to the room.Check whether the checkout inspection included photographs of the stain taken on 2026-08-31 or shortly after, on your phone, the checkout inspector's records, or the cleaning company's records.
  • Evidence of what the tenant was told about the stain and the cleaning claim, such as a message or email sent to the tenant after checkout.Check your records for any communication with the tenant about the stain or the cleaning charge between checkout and the dispute notice.

Picture glass replacement

Damage

£35.00

Check-inCheck-out

Why

Wear and tear

Looks like more than wear and tear

The check-in inventory records the frame and glass as intact and hanging level. The check-out report and close-look photo show a large crack across the glass with multiple branches and the frame hanging askew, which goes beyond ordinary wear from normal use over 23 months with two occupants. Check-in inventory, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, BristolCheck-out report, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, BristolAbstract artwork on wall

Its value after wear and tear

No scheme publishes a typical life for this. Add one if you know it.

Evidence for this deduction
At check-out
Abstract artwork on wallA large crack with several branches runs across the glass from the lower middle to the upper right and the right edge, over the circle and square design.
Check-out report, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, BristolGlass cracked across one corner. Frame hanging askew.
The tenant’s points (1)

Lounge walls redecoration

Redecoration · lounge

£420.00

Check-inCheck-out

Why

Wear and tear

Not clear from the evidence

The checkout report and close-look photo show scuff marks and grey marks along the wall behind the sofa, approximately 1.5m long, which were not visible in the check-in photo of the same spot. The tenant argues these are normal wear from the sofa, but the evidence does not show the sofa's position, movement, or the typical wear pattern from furniture contact over 23 months with 2 occupants, making it unclear whether these marks exceed ordinary wear. Check-in inventory, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, BristolCheck-out report, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, BristolWall with horizontal marks or scratchesTenant response to claimed deductions, 5 October 2026

Its value after wear and tear

Add how old it was to work out its value after wear and tear.

Evidence for this deduction
At check-in
Check-in inventory, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, BristolLounge Walls Magnolia emulsion, redecorated August 2024. Very good, no marks or scuffs.
Wall and skirting board junction
At check-out
Check-out report, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, BristolScuffs and grey marks along the wall behind the sofa, approx. 1.5m long.
Wall with horizontal marks or scratchesThree long curved grey-brown scuff marks run across the wall above the skirting, the top one being the thickest.
Also relevant
DPS dispute notification, Flat 2, 14 Albion Road, BristolLounge walls – Redecoration: £420.00
Against this deduction
Tenant response to claimed deductions, 5 October 2026The marks on the wall are normal wear from the sofa.
What would make it stronger (3)
  • Photographs of the sofa's position and contact points with the wall during the tenancy, to show whether the marks align with normal furniture wear.Check any photos taken during the tenancy or ask the tenant for photos showing the lounge layout and sofa placement.
  • Evidence of the sofa's material, weight and typical wear patterns, or comparison with similar furniture wear in other properties.Obtain product information for the sofa model or consult a surveyor on typical sofa-contact wear patterns.
  • Dated photographs of the wall condition between check-in and check-out, to establish when the marks appeared.Review any mid-tenancy inspection photos or ask the tenant if they reported the marks during the tenancy.
The tenant’s points (1)
  • The tenant saysThe marks on the wall are normal wear from the sofa.

    The tenant's assertion is not supported by evidence of the sofa's position, the wall's contact area, or the typical wear pattern from furniture use over 23 months. Tenant response to claimed deductions, 5 October 2026