Tenants urged to use deposit protection scheme Published: 04/09/2008

Student renters are being urged to ensure they protect the deposits they pay before moving into a new property.

The average student will pay £75 as a deposit for their student accommodation, but this rises significantly in London and the south-east.

Industry experts are therefore warning students to join a new government-approved scheme – mydeposits.co.uk – to make sure they do not lose out on their deposits unfairly.

Under the scheme, landlords who rent property to students have to register each student's deposit within two weeks or else risk going to court.

Tenants, landlords and letting agencies under the scheme are also able to benefit from a dispute resolution service should there be trouble with the deposit.

In the year since the scheme was started, there have been 341 disputes, with tenants winning in 86 per cent of cases.

David Salusbury, the chairman of the scheme, said: "It is important for students to ask their new landlord where their cash is and with whom it is being protected.

"The overwhelming majority of tenancies have always ended amicably but mandatory tenancy deposit protection is now just part and parcel of a landlord’s legal responsibilities."

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