Appalling handling of tenancy deposit — avoid

We vacated our property at Masters Court, Harrow on 30 January 2026 in good condition, and over a month later we have still not received our deposit back. The handling of this entire process by Connells has been deeply disappointing.

Despite sending multiple emails and attempting to call numerous times, we have received nothing but vague responses saying they are "still liaising with the former landlord." No clear timeline, no transparency, and no accountability. Phone calls have gone unanswered, and no direct contact number has been provided despite requests.

The items flagged in the checkout report are standard fair wear and tear under TDS guidelines — minor wall marks, limescale build-up typical of Harrow's hard water, None of these justify withholding our deposit.

To make matters worse, wife is 24 weeks pregnant, and the unnecessary financial stress caused by this prolonged delay has had a real impact on her mental health and wellbeing. This is completely unacceptable.

We have now raised a formal dispute through the tenancy deposit scheme, which should never have been necessary. We have never experienced such poor deposit handling with any previous letting agency.

If you are a prospective tenant — be warned. We would strongly recommend looking elsewhere.