BELFAST, Northern Ireland, July 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
TDS Northern Ireland is warning landlords to be prepared for disputes with their tenants over deposits.
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Landlords and agents have been getting to grips with protecting tenancy deposits since new laws came into force on April 1st, with many choosing the not-for-profit TDS Northern Ireland as their preferred scheme. It allows tenants to dispute deductions from their deposit at the end of the tenancy, and although most landlords won't be faced with disputes for some time yet, they are being warned to keep good evidence now to avoid losing money later on.
TDS Northern Ireland has announced new disputes training with leading housing charity Housing Rights Service, and published comprehensive new guidance on presenting disputes to adjudicators.
Many landlords forget that the deposit money belongs to their tenant and don't realise it falls on them to justify their deductions.
Director of TDS Northern Ireland Ben Beadle, said;
"The new scheme makes it much easier for tenants to challenge deductions from their deposit. The existing schemes in England, Wales and Scotland have seen many landlords unsuccessful in disputes when they might otherwise have won an award, because they failed to keep records such as inventories, photographs, or receipts.
The most common reasons for dispute are cleaning and damage, and it is particularly important in these cases that landlord has evidence of the property's condition at the start and end of the tenancy.
He continued;
"This is the most comprehensive training and guidance for disputes available to landlords in Northern Ireland since the legislation came in to force. We want to help landlords avoid problems later on by making sure they know what they can reasonably make deductions for and how they can best justify it."
Housing Rights Service and TDS Northern Ireland are hosting 'Disputes, Damages and Adjudication' in Derry-Londonderry on 14th August and in Belfast on 15th August. More information is available at http://www.housingrights.org.uk
The new guidance 'How to present your case to the TDS Northern Adjudicator' is available on the TDS Northern Ireland website http://www.tdsnorthernireland.com/downloads/
Contact:Chris Kendall, +44(0)1442-210-236.
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