Insurance News Archive

90% of tenants win deposit disputes

The majority of renters get their tenancy deposit returned cases in dispute cases following the introduction of protective legislation, according to new research.

Mydeposits.co.uk reports that since the new laws were brought in April 2007, the number of occupiers losing their deposits to unscrupulous landlords has reduced.

Now, nine out of ten tenants are able to get their money back, whereas before they would have has to go through the courts to retrieve their cash, according to the website.

Its figures shows that the scheme's independent adjudication service ruled in favour of the renter in 91 per cent of cases, with the average amount in dispute standing at £733, which is much lower than the typical deposit of £1,052.

"We can now clearly see the protection laws are working," says Eddie Hooker, chief executive of Mydeposits.co.uk.

Last month, campaigners called for better legislation safeguarding tenants whose landlord's property has been repossessed.

03 Apr 2009