Residential Lettings in East Renfrewshire and beyond!
Useful information for tenants at the end of your tenancy.
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At the end of the tenancy there will be a full inventory check of the property before any deposit can be returned (You should refer to the inventory at the beginning of the tenancy). The property should be left in a clean condition with any damages not deemed fair wear and tear repaired or replaced and all items returned to their position when you first moved in. The property should be left, as far as possible, as you found it.
Deposit Release
Tenancy deposit protection legislation in Scotland
What is Tenancy Deposit Protection?
It is normal practice for a landlord to take a deposit from their tenant as security should the terms of the agreed contract be broken. The new legislation is designed to safeguard the tenant’s deposit by requiring landlords to submit the deposit to a Government-approved Tenancy Deposit Scheme to hold for the duration of the tenancy and provide the Tenant with certain key information called Regulation 42 explaining deposit protection. Letting Agents acting on behalf of landlords must also abide by the new legislation.
What is a Tenancy Deposit Scheme?
An independent third party authorised to hold and protect the tenant’s deposit for the duration of the tenancy. Once the landlord has submitted the deposit, it is kept in a safe, designated account until the end of the tenancy and both parties have agreed to its return.
All schemes in Scotland must be approved by the Scottish Government.
All deposits taken on assured and short assured tenancies, university accommodation and other types of occupancy agreements must be submitted to a Government-approved scheme.
How to comply:
All landlords and letting agents who take a deposit in Scotland must:
- protect and lodge the deposit with a government approved scheme and;
- provide the tenant with key details about the protection (Regulation 42 Information).
Both of the above tasks must be completed within 30 working days of the tenancy start date.
For help with calculating your deposit protection deadline date, use our deadline calculator tool.
What are the penalties for non-protection?
If satisfied that the landlord did not comply with the deposit protection requirements, the sheriff:
- (a) must order the landlord to pay the tenant an amount not exceeding three times the amount of the tenancy deposit; and
- (b) may, as the sheriff considers appropriate in the circumstances of the application, order the landlord to
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- (i) pay the tenancy deposit to an approved scheme; or
- (ii) provide the tenant with the information required under regulation 42.
If you have any question on the above please feel free to contact us by phone or email.
