Guides
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TDS Northern Ireland Customer Service & Complaints
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TDS Northern Ireland Customer Service Standards Download
TDSNI aims to provide agents, tenants and landlords with the best possible service at all times. These customer service standards set out the quality of service you can expect to receive.
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Our policy on unacceptable behaviour by customers Download
TDS NI unacceptable behaviour by customers policy.
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How to get your deposit back
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Custodial: How to request repayment of the deposit (landlords & agents) Download
A screen-by-screen guide to the repayment process.
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Custodial Tenant Guide: How you get back the deposit at the end of the tenancy Download
This quick guide sets out what landlords and tenants need to do at the end of the tenancy to repay a deposit which is held by TDS Northern Ireland.
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Insured: How to respond to a dispute (landlords & agents) Download
A screen-by-screen guide to responding to a dispute.
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Insured Tenant Guide: How you raise a dispute at the end of the tenancy Download
This quick guide sets out what landlords and tenants need to do at the end of the tenancy where there is a dispute about the return of a deposit which is protected by the TDS Northern Ireland Insured scheme.
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Deposit protection
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Joint scheme guide Download
A guide to deposit disputes and damages: a comprehensive guide to deposit protection, written and published by all of the schemes.
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How to protect a Custodial deposit Download
A screen-by-screen guide to protecting a Custodial deposit.
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Scheme Leaflet: What is the Tenancy Deposit Scheme Northern Ireland? Download
An advisory leaflet for landlords and tenants. This leaflet forms part of the Prescribed Information, which landlords must give to tenants within 35 days [on or after the 1 April 2023] of receiving the deposit.
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Inventory Guides
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A Guide to check in & check out reports, inventories & schedules of condition Download
TDS recognises that a wide variety of check-in and check-out reports, inventories and schedules of condition are in everyday use by landlords, agents and inventory companies. The intention of this guide is not to produce a model report for the lettings industry or to endorse a particular version currently in use.
Rather, this guide considers ‘best practice’ from an adjudicator’s viewpoint irrespective of whether the check in or check out report that is presented as evidence in a dispute was prepared by the landlord, the agent or by an independent inventory clerk.
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End of tenancy
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Deposit disputes
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How the adjudicator approaches disputes involving cleaning Download
Cleaning is one of the most common reasons for disputes over deposits. Read this guide to find out how the adjudicator approaches the disputes and how to improve the case you make.
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How the dispute resolution mechanism works Download
A guide on the free impartial adjudication service provided by TDS Northern Ireland, called the Dispute Resolution Mechanism.
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How TDS Northern Ireland approaches disputes involving damage Download
Here are some key principles in disputes over damage and missing items.
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How TDS Northern Ireland approaches disputes involving redecoration Download
Here are some key principles to consider when presenting a case involving redecoration, including the best evidence to provide and how the adjudicator makes their decision.
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A Guide to Product Lifespans Download
The product lifespans laid out below are guidelines which can be affected by a number of factors. Because there are so many varying factors for each dispute, such as the size of the property, the number of occupants, the quality and lifespan of the property and contents, each case must be is considered on its own merits and no two cases are ever the same.
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How to present your case to the TDS Northern Ireland adjudicator Download
This is a detailed guide on how best to present your tenancy deposit dispute.
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Rules and regulations
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TDSNI Scheme Rules Download
Fifth edition of our scheme rules, effective to all participants from May 2023.
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Joint Ministerial CommuniqueÄ› on Letting Agency Fees Download
Joint Ministerial CommuniqueÄ› on Letting Agency Fees - March 2020
Information relating to the issue of letting agents’ fees, and the judgment given in December 2017 that fees should not be passed on to tenants for services that a letting agent carries out on behalf of a landlord.
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A Guide to the Northern Ireland Tenancy Deposit Legislation Download
An updated guide to the regulations of tenancy deposit protection in Northern Ireland has been put together by Steve Harriott, CEO of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme Northern Ireland. The latest guide builds on the previous edition with a detailed section relating to the regulations of tenancy deposit protection in Northern Ireland, together with a running commentary.
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Click here to read our Adjudication Digests
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The Adjudicator: Missing Keys Download
This case study is concerned with the return of the keys to a property. The agents and tenants had carried out a pre-check out inspection, in which the tenant was advised that all was well with the property. The agent advised the tenant, on the last day of the tenancy, they would be able to get their deposit back without deductions.
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The Adjudicator: Reporting Damage Download
In this case, the landlord claimed the full deposit, £750.00, for a number of different items with varying levels of evidence to support each deduction. The adjudicator was faced with a complex combination of factors to consider in deciding responsibility.
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#TheAdjudicator: To clean or not to clean… Download
In this case, the landlord wanted to keep the tenant’s deposit because the décor in the flat had been damaged during the tenancy by mould; this needed to be wiped clean and repainted.
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Statistical Briefings
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Northern Ireland Statistical Briefing 2017-18 Download
This briefing contains key statistics on tenancy deposit protection issues in Northern Ireland.
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Statistical Briefing - UK Tenancy Deposit Statistics 2017-18 Download
This briefing contains key statistics on tenancy deposit protection issues in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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Statistical Briefing 2019-20 Download
This briefing contains key statistics on tenancy deposit protection issues in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for 2019-20.
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Statistical Briefing 2020-21 Download
This Statistical Briefing provides data on the work of the tenancy deposit schemes across the UK; in England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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Statistical Briefing 2021-22 Download
This Statistical Briefing provides data on the work of the tenancy deposit schemes across the UK; in England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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Deposit deductions template
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Deposit deductions template Download
We recommend that this document is used when a landlord wishes to make a deduction from the deposit at the end of the tenancy. It is designed to allow for the transparent exchange of information between the parties and to help resolution at an early stage. If TDS NI is asked to resolve any dispute, the information can be used as part of the evidence submission.
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Guidance to using deposit deductions template Download
A guide to using the TDSNI deposit deductions template.
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Annual Review
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