Cleaning has remained the leading cause of tenancy deposit deductions for a fifth consecutive year, according to new research from The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS).
The DPS's figures show that cleaning accounted for 29.38% of all deposit claims in 2025, continuing a steady rise from 24.57% in 2021. When tenants leave a property, landlords can request deductions from a tenancy deposit to cover reasonable costs incurred during the tenancy, and cleaning has topped that list every year since 2021.
Damage was the second most common reason for a claim in 2025 at 18.42%, while rent arrears followed in third place at 16.45%. Redecoration-related claims have also grown steadily, rising by 3.40% between 2021 and 2025 to reach 10.88% last year.
The data shows a clear five-year pattern:
- Cleaning claims rose from 24.57% in 2021 to 29.38% in 2025
- Damage claims increased from 14.60% to 18.42% over the same period
- Rent arrears claims fell from 17.71% to 16.45%
- Redecoration claims climbed from 7.48% to 10.88%
- Claims classed as 'other' dropped sharply, from 26.30% to 13.31%
"It's interesting to see that the reasons behind deductions have remained fairly consistent during the last five years," said Matt Trevett, managing director of The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS).
"We encourage tenants to make sure they understand their obligations whenever they leave a property, and landlords to communicate clearly around expectations at the end of a tenancy.
"Less than 5% of all deposits protected by The DPS end in a dispute and, if a tenant and landlord cannot agree on deductions, our impartial free-to-use dispute resolution service makes sure tenancies are settled fairly."
The consistency in claim reasons over five years suggests the issues driving deposit deductions are well established rather than emerging trends.
For landlords, this points to the value of setting out cleaning expectations clearly at the start of a tenancy, while tenants may benefit from understanding exactly what standard of cleanliness is expected before they move out.
