How do the tenancy schemes work?
After April 2007, when you are signing a new tenancy agreement with your landlord, ask how much deposit will be protected. Your landlord can provide you with the contact details of the scheme protecting your deposit. Landlords will be able to choose between two types of scheme: a single custodial scheme and two insurance based schemes.
Custodial Scheme
The tenant pays the deposit to the landlord;
The landlord then pays the deposit into the scheme;
Within 14 days of receiving the deposit, the landlord must give the tenant the prescribed information about the scheme being used;
At the end of the tenancy, if the landlord and tenant agree how much deposit should be divided, they will tell the scheme which returns the deposit, divided in the way agreed by both parties;
It there is a dispute, the scheme will hold the amount until the dispute resolution service, or the courts, decide what is fair;
The interest accrued by deposits in the scheme will be used to pay for the running of the scheme and any surplus will be used to offer interests to the tenant, or landlord if the tenant isn’t entitled to it.
Insurance Based
The tenant pays the deposit to the landlord;
The landlord retains the deposit and pays a premium to the insurer – the key difference to the custodial scheme;
Within 14 days of the receiving a deposit, the landlord must give the tenant prescribed information about the scheme being used and the tenancy;
At the end of the tenancy, if the landlord and tenant agree the deposit should be divided, the landlord returns all or some of the deposit;
If there is a dispute, the landlord must hand over the disputed amount to the scheme for safekeeping until the dispute is resolved;
If, for any reason, the landlord fails to comply, the insurance arrangements will ensure the return of the deposit to the tenant if they are entitled to it.
In each scheme, the deposit must be returned within 10 days of the landlord and tenant agreeing how the deposit should be divided, or within 10 days following notification of an ADR / Court decision.
Example
A group of tenants pays a deposit of £1000.
At the end of the tenancy, the landlord says he wishes to keep £200 to pay for replacing damaged furniture. The remaining £800 will be returned to the tenants.
The tenants disagree, claiming the furniture was damaged when they moved in.
Both parties agree to go to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), so the disputed £200 will be transferred to the scheme administrator until the dispute is settled.