The number of rental deposit disputes lodged with Hamilton Fraser’s government-authorised deposit scheme, mydeposits, has fallen by 15% across England so far this year.
Analysis of the data by Hamilton Fraser’s sister company and deposit replacement provider, Ome, found that London, the South-East and the North-East have all seen the largest drop in deposit disputes (-23%) so far in 2020, in comparison to the same time last year.
Ome revealed that deposit disputes are also down in the West Midlands (-16%), Yorkshire and the Humber (-11%), East of England (-8%) and the North-West (-2%).
The analysis showed that only the East Midlands (11%) and the South-West (18%) are the regions to see an increase in deposit disputes when compared to the same time frame last year.
Ome added that the main reason for withholding a deposit has been for “post-tenancy cleaning”, which accounts for 26% of all deposit disputes. Damage to the property and the deposit not being returned in the first place are also some of the most common reasons that deposits were withheld (20%).
Ome co-founder, Matthew Hooker, suggested that lockdown restrictions have prevented many renters from ending their tenancy, and that this will have contributed to the reduction in deposit disputes seen so far this year.
“However, the majority of disputes already lodged will relate to tenancies that ended prior to lockdown and so it’s encouraging to see a drop none the less,” Hooker added.
“It will be interesting to see how this plays out during the rest of the year and if there is a spike in deposit disputes further down the line once lockdown has ended.
“Unlike the backlog of evictions that have amassed due to new government legislation, deposit disputes haven’t been put on hold as a result of the current pandemic as they can still be processed online. Therefore there is a good chance this positive trend is here to stay and we still continue to see a more harmonious relationship between landlords and tenants for the months and years to come.”
Latest News
Perenna and the long-term fixed mortgage market
Content editor, Dan McGrath, spoke to head of product, proposition and distribution at Perenna, John Davison, to explore the long-term fixed mortgage market, the role that Perenna plays in this sector and the impact of the recent Autumn Budget
The role of the bridging market and technology usage in the industry
Content editor, Dan McGrath, sat down with chief operating officer at Black & White Bridging, Damien Druce, and head of development finance at Empire Global Finance, Pete Williams, to explore the role of the bridging sector, the role of AI across the industry and how the property market has fared in the Labour Government’s first year in office.
NEW BUILD IN FOCUS - NEW EPISODE OF THE MORTGAGE INSIDER PODCAST, OUT NOW
Figures from the National House-Building Council saw Q1 2025 register a 36% increase in new homes built across the UK compared with the same period last year, representing a striking development for the first-time buyer market. But with the higher cost of building, ongoing planning challenges and new and changing regulations, how sustainable is this growth? And what does it mean for brokers?
Does the North-South divide still exist in the UK housing market?
What do the most expensive parts of the country reveal about shifting demand? And why is the Manchester housing market now outperforming many southern counterparts?
In this episode of the Barclays Mortgage Insider Podcast, host Phil Spencer is joined by Lucian Cook, Head of Research at Savills, and Ross Jones, founder of Home Financial and Evolve Commercial Finance, to explore how regional trends are redefining the UK housing, mortgage and buy-to-let markets.
In this episode of the Barclays Mortgage Insider Podcast, host Phil Spencer is joined by Lucian Cook, Head of Research at Savills, and Ross Jones, founder of Home Financial and Evolve Commercial Finance, to explore how regional trends are redefining the UK housing, mortgage and buy-to-let markets.
© 2019 Perspective Publishing Privacy & Cookies
Recent Stories