Landlords 'unaware' of Tenant Deposit scheme

Posted: 04 Jun 2007 11:04:55 GMT

Landlords and tenants alike could avoid disputes over unpaid rent or household damage through a new government-backed Tenant Deposit scheme.

Landlords and tenants alike could avoid disputes over unpaid rent or household damage through a new government-backed Tenant Deposit scheme.

The scheme is designed to protect tenants' deposits, as well as provide impartial help in resolving conflicts between them and their landlords.

However, despite inclusion in the scheme being a legal obligation for all landlords, new research suggests that only a minority actually realise that it is up and running, and understand the implications for them.

According to a survey conducted by Alliance & Leicester, more than half of landlords said they were unaware of the scheme, while a further 23 per cent said they knew of the programme, but did not fully understand its relevance to them.

Legal action and other disputes are surprisingly common among landlords and tenants, the research also suggests, with 56 per cent of landlords saying that they had kept some or all of their tenants' deposits because of unpaid rent, damage to the property, or unpaid utility bills.

© Houseladder Ltd