The Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) has launched an FAQ web page for landlords, letting agents and tenants to provide help and guidance on the most frequently asked questions surrounding tenancy deposit protection in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resource page tackles pre-tenancy, mid-tenancy and post-tenancy concerns, and gives advice on questions such as the handing over of check-in documentation in lock-down, how check-outs could be carried out remotely, and how disputes may be resolved where there are challenges to obtaining or accessing evidence during times of social distancing and self-isolation.
Steve Harriott, group chief executive at TDS, said: “The coronavirus pandemic is affecting us all and, understandably, we have had many questions from tenants, landlords and agents over the past few days regarding how this could affect tenancy deposit protection.”
Questions about rent reductions and their impact on the deposit cap have been asked several times, along with worries about not being able to pay rent, so the team at TDS have provided specific information on wording, claims and legislation.
The TDS is updating the website as government advice changes, and as more questions come in. They urge customers to visit the page frequently for updates, as the guidance may change, and answers may be amended.
Harriott continued: “As we receive further questions and advice from the government, we will do our best to continue providing answers and clarity on legal ramifications and tenancy processes during this period.”
He added: “We would like to stress that we are an impartial organisation and do not believe it is our place to give any advice beyond which is clearly stated by the government or law. It is ultimately up to the parties in the tenancy agreement as to how they wish to proceed in any given situation.
We hope the information we are providing on this web page provides a helpful foundation, and we wish all our customers and their families the very best of health during these unprecedented times.”
Click here to find out more.
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Perhaps people will realise that the deposit is actually there for everyone's protection? Low deposits help no-one. Wonder how the snake oil zero deposit salesmen will cope with the demand for them to keep their unaffordable promises?
They will be broken promises, any way to get out of paying out just like any cheap insurance does.
Total disaster not a clue what they are doing, as soon as he said 3 months rent holiday the game was up. I had some struggling before this but was working through it with the Tenants and getting some rent at least, now that has stopped immediately, so no rent from 6 properties some they won't even communicate anymore, don't return messages, dont answer the phone, supposedly cant go there because of the ban, so I am ignored and at same time made powerless by law. I always had good relationships with the Tenants before until this stupid intervention, they had all the protection they ever needed already, did they not know its only the Courts or the Tenant that can end a Tenancy and if they didn't pay they were simply in arrears and I had some hope of getting some rent. The implications of this is total loss of confidence and the collapse of the housing market and the economy, you will have all those partly built Blocks of flats abandoned of course was never needed, and the young people that were forced & coaxed into buying over priced Flats just to make profit for big Developers will struggle for rest of their lives, ( 10 out of 10 for stupidity).
These buy to rent and purpose built cardboard cladded student accommodation will be shown to be the new timeshares, as I predicted some months ago.
Tenants affected by COVID-19 are facing concern about paying their rent, its useful to claim Universal Credit from the Department for Work and Pensions that includes maintenance for housing costs, if eligible.
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