What caution money is, and how to get it back

Caution money — often one month's rent — is meant to cover damage beyond ordinary wear, not to be an extra month of rent. Whether you get it back comes down to two things you control.

One: photograph everything on day one

Before you move a single item in, photograph every room, every existing crack, every stain, every broken fitting. Send them to the landlord the same day with a short written note. This is your evidence of the condition you received.

Two: agree in writing what it covers

Ask, before you pay: what condition must the house be returned in, and what would be deducted? Get the answer in writing, however informal. Vagueness at the start becomes a dispute at the end.

Ordinary wear is not damage

Paint fading, minor scuffs and normal use of fittings are wear, not damage. A hole in a door is damage. The distinction matters and is worth stating in the agreement.

When you leave

• Give proper written notice
• Clean the place properly — it costs an afternoon and removes the easiest deduction
• Photograph every room again, empty
• Walk through with the landlord and agree any deductions on the spot, in writing
• Ask for the balance in a traceable way, such as mobile money