About the deposit protection scheme (mydeposits Jersey)
From Monday 2 November 2015, any deposits placed to rent a home must be protected in the States’ approved tenancy deposit scheme, mydeposits Jersey.
Deposits are protected for the length of the tenancy and will be paid back to the tenant if they:
- meet the terms of the tenancy agreement
- don’t damage the property
- pay their rent and bills
You can find out more about deposits on the mydeposits Jersey website.
How the scheme applies to leases
The scheme applies to self-contained accommodation (including bedsits and studio flats) which means that only the occupants use it.
Where a deposit is required to rent self-contained residential accommodation, the deposit should be placed in the scheme.
Cost of placing a deposit in mydeposits Jersey
It costs £21 (including GST) to place a deposit in the scheme. This will be taken out of the tenant’s deposit.
How your deposit is protected
Your deposit will be transferred to a regulated bank and held in an account until it is due to be repaid at the end of the tenancy.
Your deposit will be protected:
- if your landlord or agent goes out of business
- in the event of any claim against mydeposits
- in the event of bank failure
Confirming your deposit protection
When a deposit is placed in mydeposits, both landlords and tenants will receive confirmation that the deposit has been protected.
This includes information about:
- how much deposit has been paid in
- how to get your deposit back at the end of your tenancy
- what to do if there’s a dispute over the deposit
If you are a tenant and you believe any information provided by your landlord is incorrect, you should
email mydeposits Jersey.
Landlords’ responsibilities
You must put your tenant’s deposit in mydeposits within 30 days of receiving the money.
It’s an offence to not put your tenant’s deposit in the scheme and you could have to pay a fine of up to £10,000.
New, renewed or varied tenancy agreements from 2 November 2015
You must place your tenant’s deposit in the tenancy deposit scheme if you sign a new tenancy agreement with your tenant on or after 2 November 2015, or you renew or vary an existing agreement.
You can also voluntarily place your tenant’s deposit in the scheme even if you have a tenancy that is not yet due for renewal. Email Strategic Housing Unit
If your landlord doesn’t protect your deposit
You should first check with mydeposits if you’re not sure whether your deposit has been protected.
If it hasn’t, you can contact the Strategic Housing Unit. They may begin court proceedings to make your landlord protect your deposit and could issue them a fine of up to £10,000.
Getting a deposit back at the end of a tenancy
The landlord or tenant can apply to mydeposits to get the deposit back at the end of the tenancy.
You will need to tell them how much should be paid back and to who.
Mydeposits will write to you asking you to confirm if you agree with the application, or whether you want to dispute the amount. If you agree, mydeposits will repay the deposit out as agreed within five working days.
You should try to agree between yourselves how much deposit money should be returned to you before applying for the return of a deposit, as it could cause delays otherwise.
Disputing your deposit
Mydeposits offers a free dispute resolution service if you disagree about how much deposit money should be returned at the end of a tenancy.
You can also have your case heard by the Petty Debts Court.
Find out more about the dispute resolution service on the
mydeposits Jersey website.
Letting or managing agents’ membership
If you’re a letting or managing agent, you can set up a membership with mydeposits to pay in and manage deposits on behalf of landlords.
Landlords should check with their agent who is responsible for handing over deposit money to the scheme.
Find out more information on
mydeposits Jersey website.
gov.je
