Tenancy law aims at protecting students
A NEW Tenancy Deposit Scheme, created to increase the protection of deposits taken by landlords, was put into practice on April 6. However, according to recent surveys, neither students nor landlords are sufficiently aware of the scheme and the ways to use it.
The Scheme is designed to protect deposits up to £25,000 and eliminate cases of landlords keeping the deposits on false property damage claims.
However, difficulties to successfully implement the scheme have arisen since a survey of the Deposit Protection Service has revealed that one in four landlords is still unaware of the change in law. Furthermore, a survey carried out by Nouse has shown only one in twenty students has heard of the new Scheme protecting their deposits.
Doubts have also been expressed about the effectiveness of the new law. One of the interviewed students commented on contacting the Scheme in case of conflict, saying, “It depends on your relationship with the landlord. If it’s good, there should be no problems, but if it’s bad, contacting a third party might complicate things even more.”
The Tenancy Deposit Scheme applies to every tenancy agreement signed after April 6. The landlord is obliged to follow one of two types of schemes to protect the deposit and inform the tenant about the choice within 14 days of signing the contract.
According to the new law, the deposit must be returned within ten days
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At Westcountry Landlords Association we are endevouring to encourage and educate our Landlord Members to take note of this new scheme, by offering meetings, seminars and newsletter to raise awareness of this new legislation.
Manny Pisani
Chairman
Westcountry Landlords Association
P.O. Box 454
Plymouth PL3 4WL
This has long been the case in Australia (I reached this site, cos I was looking for ‘tenancy in the UK.) But to save a lot of arguement, the govt keeps the bond. It is illegal to hold the rent in lieu of the bond, and there is a bad tenants listing. Because there is a clear and effective procedure, and everybody who owns their own home buys a 2nd to let, there are few very few bad landlords. Agents handle all the lettings. There is a standard mandatory form for $7,50 at all newsagents. You have 7 days to put in the bond, fill out the condition report, and you and the landlord get receits, booklets are available free from the rental bond board in many languages. Poms, backpackers, etc fall foul of this law because the standard is for 6 months, and they think they can leave after 3. You can’t, you have contracted for 6 months. So you lose your bond, If you want to stay for 3 months, ask for a non-standard and write it in. Most almost all flats (called units) are unfurnished. Carole
IS this scheme compulsary? what if any landlord avoids to follow this scheme and try to have a mutual understanding with their tenants and avoid it, will it be still legal to make a claim against the landlord in the court in case things go wrong at the end?
Dear Sir/Madam,
Please could you inform me as to whether i could be covered within this new bond protection scheme law as i have a dispute with my recent previous landlady who i had a tenancy agreement with from march 05 until july27 08. However, despite already retaining the usual bond from the commencement of the tenancy, I gave her a £200 bond only a few weeks ago which i doubt she covered under your scheme. She is now refusing to return this fair bond return to me even although her property was left in a hard-worked spotless condition. She is arguing over many petty little things but i suspect she retaining out of resentment dressed up as something else.
I would appreciate if you email me any possible help or advise on this matter.
Thank you
Yours Sincerely,
Selma Douglas
Selma,
I doubt that anyone here is qualified to give legal advice, and I’d be reluctant to rely on advice given in a comment on an article on a student newspaper website. Your best bet is probably to contact your local Citizens’ Advice Bureau. They’ll be able to help you with ‘free, independent and confidential advice’ on your ‘legal, money and other problems’ (as their website puts it):
http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
Or, if you’re a York student, the Accommodation office may be able to help.