SafeDeposits Scotland Blog

At SafeDeposits Scotland, we regularly analyse the data we hold to take the temperature of the private rented sector and to look out for trends. We recently looked at where landlords were in relation to the properties they rented and noticed an interesting pattern. Since SafeDeposits was founded in 2012, there has been a dramatic increase in landlords living in England and renting property in Scotland. In 2012, 260 landlords based in England registered deposits on Scottish tenancies,...Read More

Why should I let to a tenant with a pet? The choice to allow a pet to live in your property is entirely up to you, but with almost 12 million households in the UK owning a pet, many landlords and letting agents are increasingly letting to tenants with pets to tap into this growing part of the private rented sector and grow their business. As the demand for pet-friendly properties still outstrips supply, tenants who find a landlord who will welcome their furry friend will often stay in...Read More

Who is liable for damage will be dependent on whether there is one tenancy agreement signed by everyone or if each of the tenants sign separate tenancy agreements. If you're yet to move in you should contact your agent/landlord to find out which one of these will be relevant to your tenancy. Joint tenancy agreements If you sign a joint tenancy agreement with other people, you're all liable for each other's actions during that tenancy. The contract is signed by everyone and...Read More

If you're renting somewhere to live from a private landlord or letting agent and pay them a deposit, your money should be protected with a tenancy deposit scheme. This includes if you've moved somewhere new for college or university and are renting while you're a student. The landlord or letting agent will usually ask you to pay a deposit before you move in, then they legally have to transfer your money to a tenancy deposit scheme within 30 working days of the tenancy start date. The...Read More

Many landlords don't allow any permanent changes to be made to their property. If you have an established and trusting relationship with your landlord they may be happy for you to make alterations. You will have to reach an agreement before thinking of doing anything - if you don't you may lose out on your deposit at the end of the tenancy. Any agreement reached should be put in writing so there is no room for disagreement at the end of the tenancy. If it's a phone call...Read More

Moving in with too many people Flat sharing is a big part of being at uni. You can have a lot of fun living with friends, however, it's not always a case of the more the merrier. We all have friends that we love dearly but wouldn't trust to run a bath. Some people come best in small doses - a fun friend is not necessarily a good flatmate! Before you start looking for a flat consider which of your friends you'd like to live with and why. It might feel harsh to let...Read More