Tenant forgets to collect £5,250 deposit

Tenant forgets to collect £5,250 deposit

11:12 AM, 10th April 2017, About 7 years ago 2

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Staff at Glasgow-based tenancy deposit scheme SafeDeposits Scotland have tracked down their biggest ever ‘missing’ tenant, who took more than a year to claim back a deposit of £5,250.

The tenant moved out of their central Edinburgh property in Spring 2016 and left the money unclaimed for over a year. Deposit and rent on the property had been paid by the tenant’s employer.

Only after repeated attempts by SafeDeposits Scotland to reach the former tenant by email, text and phone was the deposit paid back to the employer, over a year after the tenant left the property.

Victoria Nixon, Operations Manager of SafeDeposits Scotland said: “We’ve been aware of this sizeable unclaimed deposit for over a year and it’s astonishing that such a large amount could go unnoticed for such a long time. We’re relieved that it’s gone back to where it belongs.

“We’d urge companies who have paid for employees’ rented accommodation to check that they have received the money that they’re due. We’re only allowed to contact the name on the lease, even if it’s not the leaseholder who has been paying the rent. We can’t automatically pay money back as by law tenancy deposit schemes do not hold bank details for tenants.

“It’s understandable that an employee might think that someone else will be dealing with the finances and ignore our messages but they’d be wise not to.”

SafeDeposits Scotland is Scotland’s largest tenancy deposit scheme, holding almost 60% of all private rental deposits, worth over £75m. The company currently holds £604,513.86 in unclaimed money from 2,440 deposits. In 2017, up to March 29 the tenant team has located 309 ‘missing’ tenants by phoning, emailing and texting, repaying a total of £120,238.77 unclaimed money.

Anyone believing they may be due money should contact SafeDeposits Scotland on 03333 213 166 or visit www.safedepositsscotland.com for more information.


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Comments

Neil Patterson

11:12 AM, 10th April 2017, About 7 years ago

Oh the shame being half Scots myself!

Kate Mellor

13:16 PM, 11th April 2017, About 7 years ago

With the DPS you can nominate the rent/deposit payer as the Lead Tenant, who is the 'person' nominated by all the tenants to take responsibility for the allocation/repayment of the Deposit. Surely in the case of an Employer funded rent & deposit the Lead Tenant should be the Employer?? The rules must be different in Scotland...

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