The introduction of deposit protection schemes by the Scottish government was brought about to protect the interests of tenants. The aim is to ensure that any deposit you pay to a local authority-registered landlord or agent is returned to you at the end of your tenancy agreement. SafeDeposits Scotland is one of the certified deposit protection schemes and our role is to hold your deposit for the duration of your tenancy and oversee independent adjudication should any disputes arise.

While the deposit is paid by you, the tenant, it is the responsibility of your landlord or agent to register with a deposit protection scheme. Most tenancy and occupancy agreements are covered under the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (Scotland) Regulations, a list of which can be found here, so it's important that you check your landlord has registered.

Your landlord may inform you when he/she has registered with SafeDeposits but you will also be contacted by us directly. We will provide you with a Deposit Account Number (DAN) and a Deposit Repayment Number (DRN) that allows you to participate in the repayment process, and check the status of your deposit should a dispute arise.

What Do I Do If My Landlord Hasn't Registered?

It is now a legal requirement for landlords to register with a deposit protection scheme and, if the appropriate action is not taken, sanctions can be applied. If you, as a tenant, believe that your landlord has not complied with the legislation in the necessary timescale, you can apply to the Sheriff Court for sanctions to be applied. So, if the Sheriff decides that a landlord has not complied with the Regulations they will order the landlord to pay the tenant up to three times the amount of the initial deposit.

If you are a tenant in Scotland and have not received any information regarding a deposit protection scheme, it is the duty of your landlord to provide this information. While SafeDeposits will aim to provide the necessary information to tenants, we will accept no liability for the landlord's failure to provide this information as required by the Regulations.