Rent deposit protections come into effect

measures to protect rent deposits for households in the Lothians have come into force.

Tenants will no longer have to take legal action to seek recovery of a wrongly withheld deposit and will have access to a free and independent dispute resolution service.

Under the scheme, protection services will take deposits from landlords or their agents for safekeeping.

Housing minister Keith Brown said: “Tenants in Edinburgh will benefit from these new regulations because they offer, for the first time, a fair, cost-effective approach that safeguards tenancy deposits.

“It is important to stress that the majority of landlords behave responsibly. This legislation is aimed at tackling those who continue to tarnish the image of the private rented sector.”