Deposit Protection Service Reviews 6.531

Customer service was very helpful

Rubbish system. I have 3 tenants in a house, 1 has moved out and has been replaced by another. They exchanged their deposits among themselves. I am told I have to return the entire original deposit and start the process all over again because a new contract has been signed. The tenant who has left is not responding to any emails or communication from the DPS and the deposit is now in limbo, because ALL TENANTS HAVE AN EQUAL INTEREST IN THE DEPOSIT, including the one who has left and who have received their deposit back. I have been told to seek independent legal advice on how to handle the deposit. What a load of non-sense.

Deborah was amazing. Very professional. Helped me access my account and answered all my queries to my satisfaction.

The efficiency and knowledge of the person who dealt with my query. She was respectful and non judgmental. Thanks.
I also didn’t have to wait long time to speak to a person rather than a machine.

Michelle was very helpful in setting up an account for me.

I was invited to complete a Trustpilot review of the DPS, after lodging a deposit with them. I had 2 reasons to submit a review. The 1st was this my most recent experience of lodging the deposit myself. I found the DPS website quite clunky. I had to search through various pages to complete the process. Also, after submitting lots of information I found there was no SAVE or SUBMIT or NEXT button to give reassurance that the information would be submitted. My second reason for this review is as the landlord of the same property, which was “managed” by a letting agent. This tenancy ended in March this year. My experience of DPS on that occasion would lead me to seek a different deposit protection scheme as I felt DPS offered me no value at all, quite the contrary. I let the property via a letting agent, after spending about two solid months (following purchase of the property) cleaning, repairing and updating the property to provide a pleasant, comfortable home for tenants. I spent over £10k bringing the property up to a comfortable standard, including installing luxury vinyl tile flooring throughout the ground floor. I worked on the house right up to the day when the agent showed prospective tenants around. It only became apparent later that this agent had not completed an inventory, signed by the tenants. The original letting agent was bought out by a larger company, who performed an inspection just a few months into the tenancy. Three years later when the tenants moved out, the letting agent told me to gather any evidence of my expenditure to prepare the house for letting and any photos I had taken when the property was ready to let. This was submitted to DPS with a detailed checkout report which included breakages, filthy floors and windows, dog hair on most surfaces, including under a carpet, that the dog had pulled up. The same dog chewed skirting boards and scratched a door during the tenancy. The tenants, knowing there was no inventory, stated that the property was in the same filthy, damaged state when they moved in. I submitted evidence via the agent, including receipts for decorating materials, flooring and repairs. The tenants clearly lied about various breakages (incl. toilet seat, coat hooks), and even submitted a photo which confirmed a lie. They did agree to pay for several things they initially said they had not broken or removed. The DPS took several weeks to review all the evidence. Instead of reasoning, for example, that it was improbable that a newly laid floor could be covered in filth and dog hair between the tenants viewing the property and moving in two weeks later, the DPS decided to return the whole deposit to the tenants. I can only assume that the DPS arbitrator was afraid/undertrained/ overworked or otherwise determined not to think through the evidence, not to decide what was likely to be true, especially given the tenants told obvious untruths, contradicted themselves and agreed to pay a small amount for things they initially said they were not liable for. I had agreed for them to have a dog half way through the tenancy and they signed the letting agent’s pet policy agreeing to pay for any damages caused by the dog. Neither this, which they signed, nor the first inspection report which recorded the good condition of the property (disregarded by DPS because the tenants had not signed it) carried any weight with the DPS. Instead the DPS stated simply that, as there was no inventory, there was no proof that I had not let a filthy, dog hair-ridden property to tenants (who had reported to the agent at the start of the tenancy that they were so grateful to have such a comfortable home). For me, the DPS added no value and wasted much of my time. The 12% I paid to the letting agent was equally of little or no value as any condition reports just flagged up things for me to repair (mysteriously cracked hob and oven fan, fouled by the protective plate, bent into it by having a large object rammed into the oven). Because the tenants did not sign the inspection report the DPS decided it could not be used as proof of property condition. I take from this experience that the DPS will always give tenants the benefit of the doubt and assume a “computer says no” attitude to avoid applying any reason or common sense in arbitration situations. Had I received this arbitration decision before lodging the recently-started-tenancy deposit, which I am managing without the benefit of a letting agent, I would have chosen a different deposit protection company. The process to withdraw the deposit now would take too much time and effort. I believe the current tenants to be respectful and diligent in their care for my property. But then I had no reason to suspect, at the start, that the previous tenants would be any different.

This is a very easy to use scheme with all details readily available on the screen once you have logged into your account. I've been using it for many years now. They also deal well with tenants who have lost/forgotten their log-on details by the time they move out.

Very easy to understand and use system with informative and up-to-date communication. Deposit refund process was extremely quick to.

Mikee was very helpful and provided some very helpful advice.

Very helpful guy called Steven explained everything to me thank you

Michelle sorted my query quickly.
On the online form for some reason
it didn't let me type any numbers so Michelle sorted that out for me. Thanks Michelle.

Very quick to return my deposit and well explained on the phone as I was having problems online, many thanks.

It was easy to speak to someone over the telephone when I made my initial enquiry. The staff were very helpful, polite and professional. It was then easy to create an account on line and I was kept fully advised of developments, by email, as I was seeking to transfer a deposit made by a Letting Agent who is no longer practising. I am now expecting the money to be transferred to my deposit protection account shortly. Overall experience was very good.

Received swift response from my enquiry. Michelle is efficient and has excellent customer service attitude.

We had a tenants deposit with the DPS for over ten years. When the tenancy came to an end the protected deposit was easily and quickly returned to the Tenant.

The website is easy to use, very clear instructions when placing deposits. The staff are extremely helpful when you telephone for information or help. I have been letting properties for 24 years and I would not use any other service for placing deposits

I spoke to Mikee regarding the return of a disputed deposit with my last tenant.
Mikee very efficiently explained how I should go about getting this returned. He was so very helpful and patient, a real asset. Couldn’t thank him enough

Phoned and spoken to by friendly knowledgeable staff, gave details of property vacating. Deposit back in my account 4days later. Excellent.

Easy to use service that made process of returning deposit quick and hassle free. Thank you very much

I had a good experience with yr company