It was interesting that Brighton and Hove City Council went over the housing repair budget by some £300,000 as a result of damage caused by tenants who moved out, leaving property in a terrible state (The Argus, February 14).

In many cases, deposits being withheld are for genuine reasons and the main problem is not about withholding deposits but about how we can educate tenants to cause less damage.

Interestingly, the council talks of informing other authorities about a tenant who has caused damage but surely if a tenant has caused that much damage, they should not be rehoused by a local authority?

What a pity that it has no such qualms in placing such people in private accommodation without any such warnings to unsuspecting landlords and then admonish the landlords for having the audacity to try to keep any deposits.

Let the council now tell us how many tenants in Brighton and Hove moved and what proportion of these were responsible for the £300,000 damage, as this may give us a good indication of why deposits are withheld.

-John Stevens, Southwick