Deposit Return Checklist

Who this is for

The end of a tenancy, done in order. A checklist of the steps between the tenant leaving and the money going back, and a table where each proposed deduction is written against the item, the evidence for it and the amount — with the balance to return worked out from the deposit held.

Landlords and agents closing a tenancy, and tenants who want to see exactly how a figure was arrived at.

What this helps you track

• The steps to complete before any money moves, ticked in order
• Each deduction tied to a specific item, a reason and a piece of evidence
• Whether the tenant has agreed each line
• The deposit held, the deductions in total and the amount to return

How to use it

1. Write the property, the tenant, the deposit held and the end date at the top.
2. Work through the checklist: inventory compared, meters read, keys counted, rent account settled.
3. Enter each proposed deduction in the table with its reason, the evidence and the amount.
4. The spreadsheet and browser versions total the deductions and subtract them from the deposit; on paper, do the subtraction in the summary boxes.
5. Share the completed sheet with the tenant, tick the agreed column line by line, and record the date the balance was returned.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How long do I have to return the deposit?

That, and what must be done before a deduction can be made, are set by the rules where the property is. The checklist is the order of work; the timing is yours to check locally.

What counts as evidence?

Whatever shows the item, the change and the cost: the move-in and move-out inventory lines, dated photographs, an invoice or a quote for the work. A deduction with none of those is a request, not a claim.

Can a deduction exceed the deposit?

The sheet will show a negative amount to return if the deductions total more than the deposit. Whether and how the difference can be recovered is a separate matter, not decided here.

What if we cannot agree?

Leave the agreed column unticked on the lines in dispute and record what each side says in the notes. How disputes are resolved depends on where the property is and how the deposit is held.