The OFT's code said it will be refunded if the let doesn't go through and it isn't the fault of the tenant. If they cancel or fail the credit check, that's their fault surely. I have paid a holding deposit 3 times and in all cases it was non-refundable if I pulled out, but refundable if the landlord did.

It is all electric. That's one of the reasons we're moving so soon, electric heaters are so expensive and most of the heat goes straight out of the windows . I don't know anything about plumbing and drains etc so I wouldn't be able to tell if something was wrong. The condensation occurs in all the rooms so I'm pretty sure it's just because of the windows. I think my thread just became moot - I cleaned the damp patch from the white walls yesterday and because the wallpaper is dark you can't tell there is anything wrong unless you look extremely closely. I'd be very surprised if they even noticed, and I'm sure they don't have grounds for redecoration since it's so inconspicuous. I wish I could take a picture but I don't have a digital camera.

I wipe the windows down every morning. For most of the tenancy it has been too cold to keep them open all the time. It's managed by the agency, they do inspections every 4 months. Last time when the agent came she mentioned the condensation on the windows and said we had to open them. I told her we could not have them open all day in the winter and she said if it caused any problems it would be deducted from our deposit as it's about how you live in the property rather than how it was built (i.e. no double glazing and bad ventilation).

Only 8 months Yes it is furnished Yes the deposit is protected

Hi all. I have just given notice at a property. It is single glazed with bad ventilation so there is a LOT of condensation, especially in the bedroom which is North facing. Over the winter a patch of black mould has developed in a corner. It touches two walls and the ceiling, and one wall has wallpaper. I can remove the mould from the ceiling and wall with a bleach cleaner, as they are painted white, but the wallpaper is dark green. I don't think there is anything I can do, though if anybody has tips that would be appreciated. So my question is, how much could they fairly deduct from our deposit for that? It is a very small area of wallpaper, about 4 inches square. I would imagine the landlord would just leave it, but if he decided to re-wallpaper the entire wall, could he charge us for that? And how much would it be? We are not moving out for almost 2 months so to save me worrying about it I would rather get an idea now.