Mydeposits, one of the tenancy deposit protection schemes active in Scotland, is inviting letting agents to attend a free dispute workshop in Glasgow this Thursday.
The informative, hands-on seminar is designed to provide letting agent professionals with a deeper understanding of the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process and will be delivered by experienced adjudicators of the scheme.
ADR is offered to letting agents and tenants who are unable to come to an agreement over the return of a deposit at the end of the tenancy.
The event, which may also count towards CPD hours, will include expert advice from Scottish senior adjudicator Suzy Hershman, plus case studies and a questions and answers session.
Hershman said: “Letting agents should be aware that if the tenant disagrees with the amount of deposit to be deducted at the end of a tenancy, it could end up as a formal dispute.
“The deposit money remains the property of the tenant unless the agent is able to successfully give evidence why they wish to make a deduction – that’s the cold reality of the legislation.
“The clear lesson we have learnt is that disputes are won and lost at the beginning, not the end of the tenancy; so agents must make sure they are fully prepared from the very start – I can’t stress that enough.
“This means having a thorough inventory and schedule of condition carried out at the beginning of the tenancy, holding on to receipts for any repair work undertaken during the tenancy and keeping a log of all communication with the tenant.”
The workshop will take place between 10am-1pm at The Hilton Garden Inn, Glasgow.
For further information about the workshop visit www.mydepositsscotland.co.uk//letting-agents/resource-centre/workshops.
Or to register, email your name, email address and a contact telephone number to juliette.santos@mydeposits.co.uk or call 0845 362 3086.
Comments