If you can help it, do not rent through De Vere. My general experience of dealing with De Vere over the last 19 months has been terrible. I won't go in to the ins-and outs on this website as the list is endless, however if De Vere are your only option for renting, or you are already one of their tenants, then read on... I should start with saying state that I work as a property manager myself and deal with landlord/tenant issues on a daily basis. Based on experiences of my fellow housemates, and from what I have personally experienced, I have compiled a list of advice that may help you, if you have any issues with getting money back at the end of your tenancy, or dealing with issues during your tenancy: 1. Deposit or "Further Advance". This money has to be held in a government approved tenancy deposit scheme, and De Vere and every other landlord or lettings agency has to put your deposit in one of these schemes within 30 days of the start of your tenancy. They then have to notify you where it is being held. If they fail to do that, then you are entitled to take them to a small claims court and can recover 3x your deposit back (this is a simple process, do not be put off!). De Vere cannot take any money from your deposit at the end of your tenancy if they have not informed you in writing of where your deposit was held, regardless of their reasons for the deduction. This applies to any letting agent or landlord in the UK. De Vere may try and tell you that your deposit is not a deposit, and that it is a "Further Advance". This is absolute nonsense. Any money held by De Vere, no matter what they call it, is by legal definition a deposit. It automatically becomes a deposit at the start of your tenancy. This is set in law, in the Housing Act 2004, Chapter 34. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/34 Note that De Vere cannot legally evict you without first having told you, and proven to you, that they put your deposit in a tenancy deposit scheme. Without this, their Section 21 Notice is completely invalid. Note that they cannot evict you without issuing a Section 21 Notice! https://www.gov.uk/tenancy-deposit-protection/information-landlords-must-give-tenants 2. Landlord's Details. You are legally entitled to know who your landlord is. It is a criminal offence not to be informed of this, or for this to be withheld if you request it. Do not be bullied in to submission if you want this information. You are legally entitled to it, and De Vere are breaking the law if they refuse to provide it. It is also worth noting that this information is available to the public, and can be obtained for a small price from the Land Registry. This is where the government stores all of the information on land and property owners. Of course, you should not have to go and pay for it yourself. De Vere should give it to you, free of charge. 3. Missed a rent payment, being bullied by De Vere? It is completely illegal for De Vere to change your locks, or bully you with their 2 extremely large debt collectors if you miss a rent payment. Unfortunately they tried to do this to another one of my housemates, who had in fact paid his rent. De Vere just didn't check their records properly. The proper process that De Vere need to follow is issue you with a Section 21 Notice, or take you to court. They cannot just lock you out of your room, or house. If they fail to follow this process then they are breaking the law! Again, note that De Vere cannot legally evict you (by serving a Section 21 Notice) without first having told you, and proven to you, that they hold your deposit in a tenancy deposit scheme!!! Without this, their Section 21 Notice is completely invalid. 4. Issues with Cleaning, Repairs? It is most likely you live in a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) if you are renting with De Vere - This is where they rent various rooms to individuals. If you rent in a HMO, then there is specific legislation that sets out De Vere's and any other letting agent's legal responsibilities. They must clean the communal areas, they must keep the communal areas well maintained, they must provide suitable refuse facilities sufficient for the number of people in your house. Do not be fooled by De Vere if you make a complaint about the cleaning. De Vere told me that cleaning was "a free, complimentary service". Most people would probably take this at face value. Don't, it's utter nonsense. Cleaning the communal areas is a legal responsibility of De Vere. If they are failing to do any of the above then you can report them directly to the council, who hold powers in enforcing legislation. De Vere would not want this to happen for a number of reasons that I won't explain here, so kindly point out to their directors that you are considering this, and remember, do not be bullied if they threaten you with eviction for standing your ground. They cannot evict you if they have not told you where your deposit is held! For more info, visit: https://www.gov.uk/private-renting/houses-in-multiple-occupation http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/private_renting/about_private_renting/shared_houses_and_flats/rights_and_responsibilities_in_a_shared_home If you want to know more about your rights as a tenant then I would suggest that any tenant visits the Shelter website: http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/private_renting/about_private_renting/assured_tenancies If you are having any issues with De Vere, and want any free advice, feel free to drop me a line: tenantsintheknow@gmail.com