Claim Evidence
What can I claim for, types of evidence, file formats, and size
Zero Deposit
Last Update 3 years ago
What evidence does an Agent / Landlord need to support a claim?
In order to raise a claim, you will need to include some basic information and documentation. This will always include a signed copy of the Tenancy Agreement and can also include:
- The references for each tenant, if the guarantee started after 1st June 2020
- A rent statement, if you are claiming for rent
You must also have attempted to resolve the claim with the tenant directly.
If you and the tenant(s) are unable to come to an agreement through the negotiation / self-resolution phase, then we will move into evidence gathering. Here we ask you for detailed evidence to support your claim.
Your evidence should show: 1) proof of the specific financial loss (e.g. what shows that the tenants left the property less clean than when the tenancy started); and 2) evidence of the size of the financial loss (e.g. how much did it or will it cost to return to the same level of cleanliness).
Examples of evidence include:
- Check-in and checkout reports
- Dated photographs
- Invoices
- Quotes for work
What evidence does a tenant need to disagree with a claim?
If you and the landlord have not been able to reach an agreement, then we will first ask the landlord/agent for evidence to support the claim.
You will then review that evidence and that should determine what you can provide to best explain why you disagree with the claim.
Some examples of evidence that can be helpful are:
- Messages that show you were allowed to leave a property early, if there is a rent claim that covers a period past that date.
- Photos (if they are dated then it will strengthen your case - e.g. photos on your phone will show when they were taken in details) that show the condition of the property at the start and end of the tenancy.
- Bank statements that show you have already made payment to the landlord/agent (e.g. for rent that is being claimed for or to cover costs that are being requested).
- Explanations of why you think an element of the claim is too high (for example, you might agree that gardening wasn't done, but believe the cost being claimed is excessive).
What sort of files can I upload as evidence?
The following file types can be uploaded:
.pdf .doc .docx .txt .rtf .odt .xls .xlsx .ods .msg .csv .png .jpeg .jpg .gif .tiff .tif .bmp .mp3 .mp4 .wmv .wav .ppt .pptx
What should I do if my file is too big too upload?
If you are unable to upload a file because it is too large, then you can:
- Upload the image with a lower resolution / in lower quality
- Ensure the evidence is limited to that relevant to the claim
- Use a free secure storage site, such as Dropbox or Google Drive to upload the data and then provide the link.
What should I do if I want to upload more than 5 files?
Please first consider whether more than 5 pieces of evidence are necessary for the claim.
If it is necessary to provide more than 5 files for one specific claim element, then you can use a free secure storage site, such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Upload your evidence to that site and then provide the link in your evidence.