Tenants warned landlords still ignoring deposit rules

09 2008
A majority of private landlords are still neglecting to comply with new laws aimed at protecting tenants' deposits, new figures show.

Statistics compiled by the Deposit Protection Service (DPS) show that 62 per cent of buy-to-let landlords are willing to tell prospective tenants that they are not signed up to the scheme, despite the fact that it is now a legal requirement.

A further six per cent said that they were not registered with the scheme as they were simply unaware of the new legislation as well as the fact that failing to comply with it can bring heavy fines.

Commenting on these latest findings, Keith Firth, client services director at the DPS, said: "These figures are staggering. What is particularly shocking is that when asked, landlords were willing to openly admit that they were flouting the law, either by design or through ignorance.

"Fifteen months after legislation was introduced, there is no excuse for failing to properly protect your tenants' deposits."ADNFCR-1219-ID-18676738-ADNFCR

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