From the 6th April 2007, a new tenancy deposit law will be introduced to give more protection to tenants by preventing landlords and letting agents from unfairly withholding a tenants deposit.

All deposits taken by landlords and letting agents for Assured Shorthold Tenancies in England and Wales, must be protected by a tenancy deposit protection scheme.

The tenancy Deposit Protection is designed to ensure:

• You get all or part of your deposit back, when you are entitled to it,
• Any disputes between you and your landlord or agent will be easier to resolve,
• Landlords and letting agents who do not protect tenancy deposits may have to pay their tenant back three times the deposit.

How does it work?

At the beginning of a new tenancy agreement, pay your deposit to your landlord or agent as usual.

Within 14 days of taking your deposit, the landlord or agent is required to give you details about how your deposit is protected including:

• The contact details of the tenancy deposit scheme,
• The contact details of the landlord or agent,
• How to apply for the release of the deposit,
• Information explaining the purpose of the deposit,
• What to do if there is a dispute about the deposit.

If you don’t get this information, ask your landlord or agent how your deposit is protected.

What if your landlord isn’t protecting your deposit?

You can apply to your local county court. The court can order the landlord or agent to either repay the deposit to you or protect it in a scheme. If your landlord or agent has not protected your deposit, they may be ordered to repay three times the amount of the deposit to you.

Find out more about this scheme at the Direct.gov information website, or call into University Student Housing and collect a leaflet on the Tenancy Deposit Scheme.

You might also be interested in...