Useful Guidance From The Deposit Protection Schemes

I was very pleased last week that the deposit protection schemes have finally got together to offer some joint advice on the dispute process. The advice itself is very practical and if you are involved in a dispute, I would recommend you read it. Each scheme has published their own version, but I am assured the text is the same in each. Even I am not dull enough to compare them. Read the booklet here:
 http://www.mydeposits.co.uk/documents/mydep_DDD_ADR.pdf

What pleases me most about this publication is not the advice itself. Although undoubtably useful, there is nothing new or unexpected in there. I am most pleased that it shows the schemes are working together to ensure common standards across adjudications.

One of the things I have had difficulty with since I began advising landlords on deposit claims is explaining that the likelyhood of any given claim succeeding varies greatly depending on which scheme they use. I avoid expressing my opinions on the relative merits of the schemes in order to maintain a professional, detached stance, but like everyone else in the industry, I know which scheme you are more likely to get a sensible decision from and why.

The fact that the schemes seem to have been able to work together on this booklet bodes very well for the landlord. Further co-operation may eventually lead to a uniform method of managing and deciding disputes which, while it won’t tip the scales in the landlord’s favour, may well iron out some of those frankly unjustifiable decisions which can give the schemes a bad name.