SafeDeposits Scotland Blog

How Do I Claim Back My Deposit?

Posted on Tuesday 3rd of September 2019

For a tenant the end of a tenancy is usually a very busy time. Alongside tying up the end of the old tenancy, in most cases you will be moving into a new property - rented or otherwise - which brings with it a lot of paperwork to be sorted, not to mention the physical process of moving your belongings. Our repayment process is therefore designed to be as straightforward as possible, to help things go smoothly when there are lots of other tasks to do. You...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

COVID-19 and Scotland's PRS - An Overview

Posted on Thursday 4th of June 2020

As Scotland cautiously enters the first phase in the easing of lockdown restrictions, here we summarise developments pertinent to the country's private rented sector that have taken place over the past 10 weeks.

Tenancy Deposit Protection

We start with our own area of expertise , where there has in fact been no change during lockdown.

At the start of lockdown we addressed some frequently asked questions in a previous blog post, where the over-riding theme was...Read More

Key Information for Tenants in the Private Rented Sector During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Posted on Thursday 18th of June 2020

The below content was produced by the Scottish Government and is reproduced here for your information.

To help you understand your rights and access information about the support available, the Scottish Government has worked with tenants' rights groups, landlord and letting agent representatives and the tenancy deposit schemes to send you links to key information for tenants in the private rented sector. We hope you find this helpful.

Renters' rights

Protection...Read More

Introducing SDS Resolution

Posted on Monday 17th of August 2020

SDS Resolution is a new service from SafeDeposits Scotland introduced to help tenants and landlords who have experienced problems with rent arrears under lockdown.

The service is designed to establish a satisfactory resolution specifically to rent arrears, without the need for further action and with the aim of helping to avoid tenants being evicted by ensuring that landlords can recover some or all of the arrears over time.

SDS Resolution is entirely separate from...Read More

Clarity on Cleaning During COVID

Posted on Thursday 12th of November 2020

Landlords have been advised to clean properties between one tenant or set of tenants moving out and new tenants moving in, however outgoing tenants should not view this as a reason to abdicate their own cleaning responsibilities - and doing so might result in a deduction from their tenancy deposit.

The advice from the Scottish Government in relation to properties being newly let during the COVID-19 pandemic states that "properties should be deep cleaned in the period between the...Read More