Across the UK, more and more people are living in the private rented sector rather than becoming homeowners. 

A combination of economic and cultural factors are behind this trend, but it does mean that people are moving around more often and living in a greater number of properties.

Moving house can be a stressful experience at the best of times, but when leaving a rented property, you have the added worry of whether your landlord will make deductions from your deposit.

One of the main reasons why people lose some of their deposit is cleaning, or rather lack of. 

Research from the Tenancy Deposit Scheme last year revealed 58 per cent of all deposit disputes between landlords and tenants concerned cleaning. This is more than any other single factor. 

A renter's exact responsibilities vary depending on their specific tenancy agreement, but in most cases, tenants are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of a property in their time living there. Fail to do so and you're likely to see a hefty chunk of your deposit deducted.

How can this be avoided? The best course of action is to keep on top of things and regularly clean your home - this way there will be no need for a frantic big clean the day before you are due to leave.

Of course, if you really want to ensure you are leaving the place spick and span, you can always enlist some help from the experts. Bring in professional home cleaners and the chances of your landlord making deductions on grounds of cleanliness will be significantly reduced, giving you one less thing to worry about when moving on to pastures new!

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