By Katy Ronkin

Let me tell you a story about the grim reality of renting in the UK in 2025.

In March, I moved out of the flat I’d been sharing with a friend in south London. We’d each been paying more than a thousand pounds a month for a damp-infested, badly furnished ground floor property in desperate need of repair. I used to fall asleep at night to the sound of mice scuttling around in the floorboards overhead. Luxury it was not.

At the end of our tenancy, we requested our deposit back, in full, only for our letting agent to propose a series of absurd deductions. Most outlandish was the claim that we’d left the carpets dirty. Except there wasn’t a single carpet in the entire property.

On pointing this out, they countered with a different proposed deduction: for not getting the flat professionally cleaned on exit. Except we had - from a company recommended by the letting agents themselves.

Eventually, we got our deposit back, and in full; however, it shouldn’t have taken as long as it did. Sadly, my story pales in comparison to some of the genuine horrors friends and........

© LBC