LONDON, February 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

A new tenancy deposit protection scheme for private sector landlords has been launched today by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, TDS, in association with the Residential Landlords Association, RLA.

Until now, the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, which already protects £1 Billion worth of deposits, the largest number of tenancy deposits protected by any deposit protection scheme, has been available primarily to regulated letting agents. Following extensive consultation with the Residential Landlords Association, the Tenancy Deposit Scheme will now provide landlords with much greater choice in the market.

The new scheme, to be marketed by the Residential Landlords Association as "DepositGuard", will substantially undercut the other rates in the market that are available on a Pay-as-you-Protect basis. Neither does the new Scheme charge annual subscriptions or joining fees. The scheme complies fully with Government regulations under the Housing Act 2004.

Steve Harriott, Chief Executive of the TDS, says: "TDS has been the Scheme of choice for regulated letting agents for some time, but we are delighted to be able to offer deposit protection directly to landlords. Landlords can save time and money by keeping hold of the deposit - as well as taking advantage of market-leading rates."

Alan Ward, the RLA Chairman, welcomed the innovation: "DepositGuard enables the Residential Landlords Association to offer competitive deposit protection without compromising our position in representing landlords' interests. The systems and documentation are also ready for changes being introduced by the Government in April and are designed to give better protection to landlords."                                  

DepositGuard permits landlords to hold deposits throughout a tenancy and to take advantage of the dispute resolution service. The TDS adjudication service seeks to issue adjudications within 28 days of receipt of evidence and, as the voice of authority in deposit protection, ensures that deposits are returned to landlord or tenant fairly.

Details of deposit protection for landlords can be found on http://www.rla.org.uk/depositguard and http://www.tds.gb.com

Editors notes: Any Assured Shorthold Tenancy, the standard tenancy for the Private Rented Sector, that started after April 2007 must be protected through a government authorised tenancy deposit scheme. Failure to do so risks fines of up to three times the deposit amount.

The RLA represents over 15,000 private sector residential landlords in England and Wales and provides the secretariat to the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Private Rented Sector.

SOURCE The Tenancy Deposit Scheme and The Residential Landlords Association