Q. My friend and I have rented a flat for the past six months. During that time, we have paid our rent on time and kept the flat in remarkably good order. However, on giving notice to the landlord, he has deemed to withhold our deposit without citing a valid reason. Can he do this?

A. Tenant’s deposits are usually required to protect the landlord against you leaving outstanding bills or causing damage to the property. A landlord is not permitted to withhold your deposit simply because of wear and tear or some other insubstantial reason. In April 2007, new laws came into force which provided protection for tenants with regards to their deposits. Under these rules, landlords must protect deposits by either paying into an insured deposit protection scheme or keeping the money themselves and insuring it independently. Either way, your landlord must tell you in writing within 14 days of you paying your deposit which of the two schemes he is using. Deposits secured this way are safe and should be returned to you when the tenancy agreement ends.

Let’s tackle this head-on. Firstly, look over your tenancy agreement and carefully check for any terms of conditions which you may not have been aware of which might permit the landlord to withhold your deposit. If, as I suspect, there are none, I would formally write to the landlord as well as the letting agent reminding them both of this fact, that the property and any contents remain in good condition and that you consider unwarranted withholding of your monies a breach of contract which, if the money is not returned, will lead you to seek recovery. This could either be, initially, via the deposit scheme’s own resolution procedure but, if still not resolved, ultimately through the County Court as a small claim.

West Lodge, in Hyde Park

It’s not often that you get the chance to find a rental property in the heart of a city, yet surrounded by nature and wildlife. But that’s the case in the city of London, where a few unusual properties have recently come up for rent – located in some of the best loved Royal Parks.

As part of the Royal Parks’ Better Buildings Programme, seven lodges in various Royal Parks in London have been decorated and updated and are now being let to tenants. The idea is that letting the buildings out will be a better way of generating revenue and a far more effective use of the buildings. Plus, they make very unique homes to lucky renters.

The buildings all have a long history, which is fascinating in itself, and offer tenants the chance to live in the midst of some of the best green spaces in London, which are packed with nature and wildlife. But most are also located very close to the life of the city and benefit from sought-after parking spaces. Tenants also get the added advantage of having a gardening service thrown in too, as the Royal Park gardeners mow the lawns on a regular basis.

Blackheath Gate Lodge, in Greenwich Park

Two of the Royal Park homes that are currently still available are West Lodge, in Hyde Park, a striking neo-classical style pavilion lodge with one bedroom, located minutes from Knightsbridge and the Royal Albert Hall, and Blackheath Gate Lodge in Greenwich Park, a three-bedroom early Victorian house, which backs onto the deer enclosure. For city fans who are lovers of history and nature, you can’t get much better than this.