Not one single landlord in a recent survey felt that tenant deposit schemes were designed in their favour, according to a new survey from the digital inventory platform, Imfuna.

When questioned 54% of landlords said that they thought the current schemes favoured tenants, while 35% claimed that neither they nor tenants benefited from the schemes.

Letting agents also largely mirrored this negative sentiment; only 20% said that the schemes, in their current format at least, favoured landlords while 52% said the balance has been tipped in favour of tenants.

These statistics emerged after a nationwide survey of landlords, tenants and letting agents, and were announced just before the new Localism Bill came into effect on April 6th. The new legislation means all landlords now face large fines of up to three times the deposit if it is not registered with a tenancy deposit scheme within 30 days. The ruling, passed by the Government’s Department for Communities and Local Government will also see landlords being unable to seek possession of their property by using a section 21 notice, until any penalty is settled.
Imfuna;s founder, Jax Kneppers said “The survey presents a picture of landlord disenchantment with the deposit schemes. The fact that not a single landlord surveyed felt they were designed in their favour, shows that there is still some work to be done by all parties in order to democratise the inventory process and ensure that everyone involved feels they are supported in equal measure.”