You could lose your holding deposit if you:

• decide not to rent the place without a good reason

• do not take steps to agree a tenancy within 15 days

What is a good reason to change your mind

A landlord or agent might behave in a way that makes it not reasonable for you to go ahead.

For example, they might:

• charge you banned fees

• behave in a way that is racist, homophobic or discriminates against you

In these types of situation you should get your holding deposit back.

If you have signed a tenancy agreement

A contract is usually legally binding. This means that you cannot usually get out of it.

There is no cooling off period with tenancy agreements.

If you change your mind before you move in, you might need to negotiate to get out of the contract. If the landlord still has your holding deposit, you could say they can keep it.

Make sure your landlord confirms any agreement to let you out of the contract in writing.

Find out more about ending a tenancy agreement before moving in.