SafeDeposits Scotland Blog

Spotlight on St Andrews

Posted on Wednesday 27th of November 2019

Welcome to the first in what we plan to be a regular series within our blog postings - a monthly spotlight looking at different towns and cities across Scotland. We'll have a brief overview of each town and what sets it apart, before digging into some of the statistics relating to private renting and tenancy deposit protection there. As it is St. Andrew's Day on Saturday, we thought we would start with the town that bears the name of Scotland's patron...Read More

Who is responsible for mould in my property?

Posted on Wednesday 6th of November 2019

At first you may spy the odd spot here and there and think nothing of it, but for the sake of your tenancy deposit (not to mention your health), the first signs of mould should be tackled quickly. Mould, like damp, is caused by excess moisture. It might come from a leaky pipe or other plumbing issues, but it can also be caused by moisture from day-to-day activities. For example, drying clothes in the property, showering and even cooking without...Read More

Scary staining this Halloween: Can my landlord deduct from my tenancy deposit because of a spilled glass of wine?

Posted on Wednesday 30th of October 2019

It's party season and even with the best-laid plans, spillages can still happen, which in turn can lead to cleaning costs - a common cause of tenancy deposit disputes. In Scotland between 2018 and 2019, 66% of all disputes between landlords, agents and tenants came about as a result of cleaning issues. To avoid any scary spillage costs this Halloween, there are steps you can take as soon as it happens to make sure it doesn't cost you the tenancy deposit....Read More

Amendments to Tenancy Deposit Schemes Regulations

Posted on Wednesday 23rd of October 2019

The Scottish Parliament has just approved a short series of amendments to the Tenancy Deposit Schemes (Scotland) Regulations 2011. These amendments come into force on Monday 11th November 2019. All tenancy deposit schemes in Scotland, including SafeDeposits Scotland, are required by law to abide by the regulations. It is important that all landlords and letting agents are aware of the forthcoming changes - please read on below for a summary of what will...Read More

Disputes Surrounding Rent Arrears

Posted on Wednesday 25th of September 2019

In 2018-19, 14% of disputes handled by SafeDeposits Scotland involved a claim for rent arrears - this was one of the less frequent types of claim made, with cleaning, damage and redecorating all representing higher percentages of overall disputes. But what sets rent arrears apart from other types of claim is the average amount claimed - at £397.63 in 2018-19 rent arrears had the highest average claim of all categories and this figure was over...Read More

SafeDeposits Scotland Celebrates Scottish Housing Day

Posted on Wednesday 18th of September 2019

Today (Wednesday 18th September) is Scottish Housing Day - an important date in the calendar celebrating the positive impact that good quality housing makes to the lives of people and communities, and highlighting the housing options that are available. At SafeDeposits Scotland we feel privileged to play a positive part in the Scottish property landscape - specifically the private rented sector, which according to the most recent available statistics...Read More