The Tenancy Deposit Scheme has announced new dates for its academy courses, delivering training on tenancy deposit disputes and adjudication to agents and landlords.

They provide accredited Continued Professional Development certification.

The Foundation Course is a full day training session focussing on the key points of tenancy deposit protection and is designed specifically for property managers, administrators, inventory suppliers and landlords. 

It will cover a wide range of topics covering legislation, tenancy agreements, check-in and check-out procedures, calculating damage and whether disputes are appropriate or not. 

The Adjudication Workshop is a half-day course that teaches property professionals and landlords to ‘think like an adjudicator’. It will focus on TDS’s Alternative Dispute Resolution service, discussing various scenarios and case studies. 

Attendees will learn about the evidence an adjudicator looks for when making a decision on awarding a deposit as well as receiving tips for presenting a case and resolving disputes.

“We often see cases where tenants raise the same arguments challenging the accuracy of check-in reports – claiming they never got one, never signed it, or that it did not show the property’s condition accurately. These are all issues that can be addressed in advance with good check-in and check-out procedures – and it’s not difficult to document that one has happened in the event of a dispute” explains Michael Morgan, TDS’s director of dispute resolution, who hosts the events.

“Our courses are designed to help landlords and property managers to minimise the risk of a dispute arising by helping them create well-documented check-in and check-out reports, supported by good quality photographs.”

Courses will run throughout the year and into 2019, at the dates and cities below: 

Foundation courses: April 4 (Durham); May 2 (London); June 2 (Cardiff); July 11 (Bristol); August 8 (London); September 5 (Birmingham); October 3 (Bournemouth); November 21 (Lincoln); February 2019 (Liverpool); March 2019 (Canterbury).

Adjudication workshops: April 25 (Birmingham); May 30 (Canterbury); June 27 (Lincoln); July 25 (Bournemouth); August 22 (Durham); September 29 (London); October 24 (Liverpool); November 28 (Cardiff); February 2019 (London); March 2019 (Bristol).      

More details here.