When you pay a deposit
Although not all landlords now take deposits, most still do. At present, a typical deposit in Sheffield is around £250 per person payable when the contract is signed. It is not advisable to pay a deposit any earlier than this. If you do, your deposit might be treated as a non-refundable holding deposit.
Deposits covered by tenancy deposit protection rules
Landlords are required within 30 days of receiving a deposit to protect the deposit with one of the authorised schemes and provide the tenant with prescribed information. This information will include, for example, the contact details of the relevant scheme and what to do if there is a dispute. If a landlord does not fully comply with the deposit protection rules - for example, the landlord fails to protect the deposit or protects it after 30 days - the tenant can take legal action.
Lead tenant
If you are part of a joint tenancy group you will be asked to nominate a lead tenant. The deposit scheme administrator will normally only deal with the lead tenant. In some circumstances, this can mean that at the end of the tenancy, everyone’s money will be refunded to the lead tenant.
Deposits not covered by tenancy deposit protection rules
If your contract mentions your deposit, you need to make sure it records not only how much you have paid but also clearly states what the money can be used for and how long you can expect to wait to get it back.
If your contract fails to mention your deposit or is not detailed enough, ask your landlord to amend it using the Union’s fixed term assured shorthold contract as a model. Copies are available free to students from the Student Advice Centre. If your landlord is not willing to do this or wants to charge you, ask for a receipt instead but try to make sure it covers the points outlined above.
Last Updated: 09/07/2013 | Disclaimer




