One in four renters struggles to get their full deposit back at the end of a tenancy, according to new research.
Almost a quarter of the 1,000 private tenants surveyed – 23 per cent – said they had experienced deposit deductions that they did not think were reasonable. Of these, only one in five had used the deposit scheme’s dispute resolution service, a free service designed to deal with disputes about the amount of money tenants receive back from their landlords.
Tom Darling, director at the Renters’ Reform Coalition, said: “Instead of renters being forced to find a new deposit every time they move, the government should consider a deposit passporting scheme that could transfer existing deposits between tenancies. This would end the pressure many renters face to accept unfair charges simply to get a deposit back quickly.”
