Tenancy deposit protection scheme mydeposits says almost a third of its notified disputes between tenants and agents or landlords do not reach a formal stage because the parties simply talk through the conflict.

In the past year it says 30.1 per cent of notified deposit disputes did not proceed to formal Alternative Dispute Resolution adjudication by the scheme, at least partly because mydeposits asking the disputing parties to communicate with each other first.

“Whenever we receive notification from the tenant of a potential dispute we always recommend they speak to their landlord first. These figures help show the value of sitting down, talking to your tenant and explaining the reasons for your proposed deductions to the deposit can help lessen the likelihood of a formal deposit dispute. It’s always worth trying to negotiate as using the scheme’s formal dispute resolution process can take time” says Tim Frome, mydeposits’ legal services manager. 

He emphasises that it is critical to remember that a deposit, by law, is the tenant’s money.

“If the tenant doesn’t agree with your deductions then they have the right to raise a formal dispute with their deposit scheme to reclaim the deposit money” says Frome.