Check your deposit is safe before you move out, CAB urges private tenants
9:53am Monday 25th February 2008
Private tenants whose tenancies are coming to an end should act now to ensure their deposit is returned, Citizens Advice Trafford warned this week.
The CAB is urging anyone who has given notice to their landlord, or who has been served with a notice to quit, to check whether their deposit is protected before they move out, and to take action quickly if it is not.
Since new laws on tenancy deposit protection came into force in April, all private landlords are required to protect tenants' deposits in a government-approved scheme that keeps the money safe. The schemes are backed up by a free, independent dispute resolution service to settle any arguments about whether the money should be returned at the end of a tenancy.
Anyone who signed a tenancy agreement on or after April 6 should be covered by the scheme, and official figures show that one in four of all tenants living in privately rented houses and flats now have their deposit safeguarded - a total of 500,000 deposits in all.
Landlords not protecting a deposit taken since April 6 are committing a civil offence which could make it harder for them to evict their tenants and lead to them having to pay tenants three times the value of the deposit But if you find your deposit has not been protected you will need to take court action against them to get your money back.
CAB district manager Sue Martin said: "For years private tenants have had little or no protection if their landlord chose to keep all or part of their deposit at the end of a tenancy and we saw many people losing hundreds of pounds as a result. With the average deposit now running at £889, it is all the more important that the new deposit protection legislation is a success.
"That's why we are reminding people whose assured shorthold tenancies are coming to an end to check their deposit is protected. Once you've moved out it will be too late to benefit from the new law -you need to take action as soon as you give notice or receive notice to quit. If you find your deposit is not protected, get advice straight away on what you can do to get your money back. If your landlord is threatening you with notice to quit, check immediately that your deposit is protected. If it's not, get advice, as you may have a defence against eviction."
Tenants can find out if their deposit is being protected by asking their landlord or by contacting all three approved tenancy deposit schemes: 0870 707 1707, www.depositprotection.com; The Tenancy Deposit Scheme 0845 226 7837, www.tds.gb.com; or 0871 703 0552, www.mydeposits.co.uk