Students in Scotland told to reclaim their tenancy deposits

With the end of the academic year fast approaching, student tenants are being urged to remember to reclaim their tenancy deposit, once their agreement comes to its conclusion.

New research from SafeDeposits Scotland reveals that many students north of the border prove surprisingly forgetful!

Unclaimed Deposits

At present, there are 188 tenancy deposits remaining unclaimed by students enrolled at Scottish colleges and universities. These collectively total almost £62,000.

The research was carried out by looking at all tenants who have a university email address registered against their name on the deposit account. It reveals that St Andrews University was the largest contributor to the amount currently outstanding.

103 of the as yet unclaimed deposits came from students at the oldest university in Scotland- with tenants out of pocket by an average of £406 each.

Students in Scotland told to reclaim their tenancy deposit

Fair Deal

Victoria Nixon, operations manager at SafeDeposits Scotland, observed: ‘It’s interesting to see the disparity in rates of deposits left unclaimed by students across the country and the reasons behind it may be complex and varied.’[1]

‘Some people may simply forget, some might think they won’t get it back, and others might think it’s an inconvenience. But in reality; the process is straightforward and should disputes over deductions arise, an independent adjudicator will work to find an amicable resolution for all parties,’ Nixon continued.[1]

Concluding, she said: ‘Tenancy deposit schemes like SafeDeposits Scotland were introduced to help tenants and landlords get a fair deal at the end of a lease agreement and claiming your deposit is straightforward.’[1]

[1] https://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2017/5/student-renters-urged-to-reclaim-tenancy-deposits