Caution fees & escrow
Your caution fee is held by HouzRent — not by the landlord — and released at the end of the tenancy, either in full or through a fair claim process.
How the caution fee is held
The tenant pays the caution fee together with their first rent. Instead of going to the landlord, it goes into escrow: it's set aside and neither side can spend it. Both of you can see it on your dashboards, marked 🔒.
At the end of the tenancy
After the tenant moves out, the landlord chooses one of two things:
| Landlord chooses | What happens |
|---|---|
| Release in full | The whole caution fee goes back to the tenant's wallet straight away. |
| Raise a claim | The landlord asks to keep part or all of it — up to the full caution fee — with a reason (for example damage or unpaid bills) and notes on the evidence. The tenant is notified. |
Responding to a claim
If your landlord raises a claim, you have three options:
- AcceptThe claimed amount goes to your landlord and the rest of your caution fee comes back to your wallet.
- Counter-proposeSuggest a different amount and explain why. Your landlord can accept your counter — the caution fee is split that way — or reject it, which opens a dispute.
- Reject and disputeThe caution fee stays in escrow and HouzRent reviews the case.
Disputes
When a claim is disputed — by the tenant rejecting it, or by the landlord rejecting a counter-offer — the caution fee stays in escrow and the HouzRent team reviews the case, aiming to decide within 72 hours. We look at the rental agreement, the claim and its evidence, and what both sides have said, then release the caution fee accordingly.