Any landlords who use the DPS?

[Chemistria]

Hi just a quick question for landlords who have used to DPS website and send the full deposit back to the tenant- does it ask you for a reason why you are sending the deposit back to the tenant?

For example where you select a reason from a drop down menu. Hope that makes sense.

Or does it not ask you for a reason when you're sending the whole deposit back to tenant.

It asks you for information about retaining all/part of the deposit. If you don't keep any of it they don't as for an explanation.

Right thanks. My partner selected the option "rent arrears" to keep the entire deposit as the tenant has been sent to prison (!) and been very behind in the rent. and the whole amount has gone to the tenant ?!? She rang the helpline and was told that she'd selected it to go to the tenant, but I don't understand why it would have asked her for the reason, which you stated it shouldn't have asked her anyway if she'd requested to keep it.

You cant retain a deposit for rent arrears, bly damage etc. Its very bloody annoying when you know you have to give money back to the tenant only to pursue it again!

Shelter says you can: https://england.shelter.org.uk/housingadvice/tenancyydeposits/tenancydeposittdeductionsyourrlandlordcannmake

I don't understand either. Sounds like the helpline person didn't know what they were talking about.

You should be able to go back into the system and see what you have inputted.

Thanks for the replies. She said she definitely selected rent arrears as the option. I'll get her to try and ring them again tomorrow as it doesn't make sense.

You can't retain money for rent arrears though so I suspect if you say tou are retaining for rebt arrears it will in effect register that this is not an acceptable reason and automatically refund the tenant.

You said you wanted to retain.

It asks the reason.

You said for rent arrears.

You cannot legally retain for this reason. It defaulted to repay tenant.

This is why I use mydeposits. It's an insurance based scheme so you keep the money in your account.