SafeDeposits Scotland Blog

What does "lead tenant" mean? With many people moving out over summer, it's important that all tenants understand how SafeDeposits deals with joint tenants when it comes to getting your deposit back. If there's more than one tenant in a property, the landlord will pick one tenant as the "lead tenant". They are responsible for responding to or entering a repayment request after the tenancy ends to claim the deposit back. The deposit protection certificate...Read More

Fair wear and tear Some landlords believe that a property should be returned to them in exactly the same condition as at the start of the tenancy. However, the law recognises that change will happen in a property over time which falls short of intentional damage or neglect. This is referred to as "fair wear and tear". It has been defined by the House of Lords as "reasonable use of the premises by the tenant and the ordinary operation of natural forces". For...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

I've protected my tenant's deposit with a tenancy deposit scheme, but how do I get it back? When the tenancy comes to an end, you can repay the deposit by following these easy repayment steps: Log in to your SafeDeposits user account; Search for the relevant tenancy address and select the “View/Edit” option; This will open the deposit summary page for the tenancy, including the “Proposal for Deposit Repayment” option at the bottom of the page; After...Read More

Why do I need to provide my tenant with information? When a landlord, or their letting agent, protects a tenant's deposit with a government approved tenancy deposit scheme, the Tenancy Deposit Schemes (Scotland) Regulations 2011 also require them to provide the tenant with particular key information. The key information must be provided to all tenants on the tenancy agreement within 30 working days of the tenancy start date. This is required under Regulation 42 of the Tenancy...Read More