The introduction of the deposit protection scheme in 2007 has been a major step in ensuring that the deposits paid by tenants to landlords are properly looked after from a legal perspective.

1. Learn better way to Rent in the UK
Renting in the UK is often thought to be a relatively straightforward business,. After
all, with more UK citizens now opting to rent rather than buy their homes than ever
before, renting has become the norm for the majority of young people starting out in
the workplace or at university, as well as for many families.
While becoming an ever more popular option, there are still a number of potential
pitfalls and legal complications to watch out for when renting a property. What’s
more, there is relatively little information in circulation on how to rent in the UK,
with most tenants relying on friends or family as their first port of call for any
questions or queries they may have. This can prove a big stumbling block for those
who are unfamiliar with the sector, particularly students and other young people as
well as foreign nationals who come to the UK for work or study.
With the number of private landlords expanding every day, those renting a property
need to ensure they are not only aware of their rights as tenants but that they are also
receiving the correct legal protection to which they are entitled. The introduction of
the deposit protection scheme in 2007 has been a major step in ensuring that the
deposits paid by tenants to landlords are properly looked after from a legal
perspective. However, relatively few people are aware of how the scheme works or
that it even exists. The aim of the scheme is to ensure that landlords lodge the deposit
with an approved third-party provider for the duration of the tenancy agreement and
that it is returned to the tenant within 10 days following the termination of the rental
period. Nevertheless, many tenants still find that only a proportion of the original
deposit is returned to them due to the reported cost of cleaning the property or
replacing lost or broken inventory.
For reliable information on how to rent in the UK or on your rights as tenants it is
worth consulting an independent third-party such as a lawyer or public advisor. There
are also a limited number of online resources such just affiliated to a private estate
agent or letting agency and may not be offering impartial advice. Renting might
sound like an easy option but it pays to make sure you are properly prepared.