This is part of a series of guidance about deposits provided for students.

Before Looking for a House

When is the right time to start thinking about getting your deposit back? When you move out of the house? A few weeks before? At the start of the tenancy? While there are steps you should be taking at each of these stages, you can actually start a lot earlier - before you even start to look for a house.

The first step to ensuring you get your deposit back is to pick a reputable landlord or letting agent to rent from in the first place. Under the Housing Act 2004 powers are going to be introduced to tighten up deposit handling, but these powers have not been brought into force yet, so in the meantime, you should look to those landlords and agents that are following the best practices.

A Safe Home for your Money

One of the best indicators that a landlord is likely to act decently in relation to your deposit is membership of the Accreditation Scheme. Landlords whose properties are in the Greater Nottingham Student Accommodation Accreditation Scheme have agreed to return deposits within four weeks of the end of the tenancy, subject to breaches of the tenancy agreement, and will provide details of any deductions made. There are also lots of other reasons to look for an accredited property, so be sure to check out our other information on this.

You could also check how the landlord or agent holds the deposit. It should really be kept in a separate bank account, which they shouldn't dip into to boost their cash flow.

Professional Bodies

When looking at lettings agents, as well as considering whether properties are accredited, you should look to see whether the agent is a member of a professional body. Various schemes exist, but ARLA (the Association of Residential Letting Agents) is the only professional body that is solely concerned with the self-regulation of letting agents - check out the ARLA website for more about the standards and protection they provide.

Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Even better protection for your deposit can be had by finding an agent that is a member of the TDSRA - the Tenancy Deposit Scheme for Regulated Agents. This scheme aims to provide the protection to tenants that will be introduced under the Housing Act, but it is available to you right now. The scheme basically provides tenants and landlords with an easy and cheap route to resolve deposit disputes at the end of the tenancy, without having to go to court; check out their website for full information.

Summary

Is the landlord or agent reputable? Are their properties Accredited?
If you are dealing with an agent, are they a member of a professional body?
Is the agent a member of the TDSRA? Should there be any problems later on this will give you a simpler route to raise disputes.
Check how your landlord or agent holds the deposit. It should be kept in a separate bank account.

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This information is provided for general guidance only, and should not be considered to be definitive or legally binding in respect of any specific situation. If you have a specific query, you should contact your Student Advice Centre, or a Citizens’ Advice Bureau.

This guide is copyright LetsUni, and may not be reproduced without prior written permission.