#AskTDS: "How does TDSNI engage with landlords and agents?"

#AskTDS: "How does TDSNI engage with landlords and agents?"

| 13 August 2018

TDS’ #AskTDS blog series answers a tenant, landlord or agent’s question. This week, Eamonn Hunt, Operations Manager at Tenancy Deposit Scheme Northern Ireland (TDSNI) answers an agent’s question: “How does TDSNI engage with landlords and agents?”

At TDSNI, we work exceptionally hard to engage with landlords and agents to make the process of deposit protection straightforward. Tenancy deposit protection (TDP) is becoming increasingly digital-based but what’s really important to us is making sure we’re still on the ground, speaking to landlords and agents across Northern Ireland.

Here for you

With five years of experience, partnered with LANI (Landlords Association for Northern Ireland) and launched by industry leaders RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) and ARLA I NAEA Propertymark, we’ve made a bit of a name for ourselves as a voice of authority.

We attend numerous landlord, agent and tenant events through the year, across the country. At these events, we share our experience and knowledge. We’re committed to working with landlords, agents and tenants as well as promoting best practice, when it comes to tenancy deposit protection.

TDSNI Academy

Thanks to our experience within the industry, we have the knowledge to have developed and offer training courses for agents, landlords and industry professionals through our TDSNI Academy.

The TDSNI Academy is open to all and is designed to simplify the often-complicated world of deposit protection. We offer two courses; the Foundation Course and an Adjudication Workshop.

We also run bespoke in-house training on protecting tenants’ deposits to letting agents and property management teams, encouraging them to think like an adjudicator. This helps the team to understand how the adjudication process works and how deposit disputes can be resolved without any need for adjudication.

Customer Service

We have a dedicated operations team and we’re proud of our call and email answering times, with calls answered within 30 seconds and emails responded to within just a few hours (July 2018 averages).

Our operations team works tirelessly to answer your questions and provide advice on topics ranging from registrations to tenant change-overs, deductions and disputes.

Keeping members up to date

Our TDSNI team author twice-weekly blogs that provide real-life examples and answer some frequently asked questions.

We also produce downloadable materials that keep our members informed of any changes in tenancy deposit protection.

Help us improve

As well as talking to our members, we’re also here to listen. We visit landlords and agents across Northern Ireland to listen to their feedback and experience of tenancy deposit protection so we can make the process even more responsive to the sector’s ever-changing needs.

Joining TDSNI is quick and easy. We have a team, based in Belfast, on-hand to make the move seamless. If you are a letting agent or landlord, get in touch at 0300 037 3700 or info@tdsnorthernireland.com.

You can find out more about both schemes and join TDSNI at: https://www.tdsnorthernireland.com

About Eamonn Hunt:

Eamonn Hunt

Eamonn has over 13 years in estate agency experience dealing with residential lettings, sales, and management. He joined TDS Northern Ireland in April 2013 with the scope to promote and provide a leading tenancy deposit protection scheme.

Based in the Belfast office, Eamonn provides a direct contact point for customers.

 About TDSNI:

Tenancy Deposit Scheme Northern Ireland (TDSNI) is a government-approved scheme for the protection of tenancy deposits; TDSNI offers both Insured and Custodial protection and also provides fair adjudication for disputes that arise over the tenancy deposits that we protect.

We provide invaluable training in tenancy deposit protection and disputes for agents and landlords through the TDSNI Academy as well as joining with MOL to provide the Technical Award in Residential Tenancy Deposits.

TDS Northern Ireland: TDSNI is Northern Ireland's leading and only not-for-profit tenancy deposit protection scheme.

TDSNI Academy: TDSNI provides property professionals with invaluable training in tenancy deposit protection and tenancy deposit disputes.

TDS can only comment on the process for our scheme, other deposit protection schemes may have a different process/require different steps. Content is correct at the time of writing.

These views are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the view of TDS, its officers and employees.