Complaints balloon about tenancy deposits, says Shelter
Thursday 28th June 2012
Shelter says that calls to its helpline from private tenants with concerns about how their deposits are being protected have ballooned by more than 80% in the last two years.
The charity says the average deposit needed to move into a privately rented home is £979, and that having a deposit withheld when a tenancy ends can push people into debt and make it difficult for them to move to another property without the money for a new deposit.
Landlords who fail to place their tenants’ deposit in one of three authorised schemes within 30 days of a tenancy starting can be taken to court. They could face a penalty of one to three times the value of the deposit, which is then awarded to the tenant.
Shelter chief executive Campbell Robb said: “It is extremely worrying that we have seen such a huge rise in problems with tenancy deposits at a time when privately renting is no longer just a stepping stone to something better, but a long-term reality for more and more families.
“While we know that most landlords do the right thing, some cause absolute misery for their tenants, accusing them of owing thousands of pounds for damage that doesn’t exist, or falsely claiming to have protected their deposit and then never returning it.”
Shelter is urging all tenants to make sure their deposit is protected by using its three-minute online checker.
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(6) Comments | Report Abuse
| I viewed a property and put down a deposit and paid the agency fee for references on Friday to have the property taken off the market. I signed an agreement form outlining how much was left to pay on the day I moved in. Today the agency contacted me to say that the landlady (I've never met) now wants to DOUBLE the damage deposit, despite the fact I entered an agreement based on an agreed one month damage deposit which was also extensively advertised as such online. This would mean a deposit of £1500 plus a month's rent. Is this landlady greed or the agency pulling a fast one? Is this even legal? |
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"and that having a deposit withheld when a tenancy ends can push people into debt"
Withheld? Under current legislation/procedures deposits cannot be returned until both landlord and tenant agree. That cannot be completed until the tenant has vacated - so the existing deposit is not available until after 'check-out' We are where we are. Again, ill thought through legislation. Simples! |
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Don’t know what they are bleating on about as tenant deposits have always been in place and this begs the question 'so what’s new'.
@David tries to make a point but the alternative is even more complaints and many more problems with tenants not getting their deposit returned. The system is a pain but it just about works right up to when you use the arbitration service of the DPS which is rap with a silent C. I agree with the first post - shelter should stop moaning and become a landlord and see how damned difficult it can be with DSS tenants not paying rent , trashing property and then demanding their deposit back. |
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| Perhaps it should be considered if, in light of the rising complaints about deposit protection, we should scrap deposit laws as they are no working? |
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I question their figures - 80% increase in calls doesn't mean that there is an 80% increase in genuine complaints.
I'd give them a little more credit if it wasn't for the blind devotion so many of their staff have towards proving their tenant is right, no matter what the evidence to the contrary may say. |
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Yet another attack on Landlords by Shelter. No doubt they would like the Scottish laws extended to England and Wales so tenants do not have to pay for credit checks, additional copies of tenancy agreements etc. I am surprised they think tenants should even pay rent!
If Shelter are so brilliant why do they not become landlords themselves and show us all how it should be done. After all they seem to think it is so easy . . . |
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