Almost three quarters of tenants claim to have lost some or all of their deposits, a new survey suggests.

Some 71% of 18 to 34 year olds say they’ve lost part of their rental deposit, over issues like scuffed walls, nail holes, or dirty ovens. 

A third (33%) report losing between £500–£999, while 75% admit they’ve avoided repairs because they didn’t know how to tackle them.

Twenty six per cent say they would immediately turn to their landlord or letting agent to solve even minor problems.

In the survey – by Google – some 57% say their biggest worry when moving out is not getting their full deposit back.

A Google spokesperson says: “Handing back the keys at the end of a tenancy can be one of the most stressful and expensive moments for renters, with many losing hundreds of pounds for small, fixable issues.”