A deposit is meant to protect the landlord against damage and unpaid rent. In practice it is also the part of a rental deal most likely to go wrong, because it is usually paid before anything is written down.
Here is the order we would do it in.
1. See the room, not just the photo
Photos are chosen to look good. Visit the property itself, ideally in daylight, and look at the things a photo will not show you:
- Water pressure, and whether the taps actually run
- Whether the power is on, and what the meter is
- Damp, cracks and how the compound drains when it rains
- The gate, the lighting and who else lives there
If the person showing you around is not the owner, ask who they are and what they are authorised to do.
2. Agree what the deposit covers
Ask, and get an answer you can repeat back:
- Is the deposit rent in advance, or a separate refundable amount?
- What would be deducted from it, and who decides?
- When is it returned, and by what means?
3. Write it down before you pay
A one-page agreement is enough. It should name the property, the monthly rent, the deposit, the start date and the notice period. Both sides sign and both sides keep a copy.
If somebody will not put it in writing, treat that as the answer to the question.
4. Pay in a way you can prove
Handing over cash with no receipt leaves you with nothing to point at later. Where you can, pay by mobile money or bank transfer, and keep the message and the receipt. If you do pay cash, get a signed receipt the same day, with the amount written in words as well as figures.
5. Keep the paperwork together
Photograph the agreement, the receipt and the meter reading on the day you move in. That set of four pictures settles most arguments about a deposit before they start.
If you rent through a landlord who uses this platform, your payment record and your tenancy details are already in their account, and you can see them in your tenant portal.