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We hold the deposit,
your deposit reference is in the format NI1234567

Your agent/landlord holds the deposit,
your deposit reference is in the format NI1234567

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Deposit Disputes

The dispute process should be completed online. You can begin a dispute after the tenancy has lawfully ended.

The way to start a dispute depends on whether the deposit is protected with the custodial or insured scheme.

Custodial Scheme

As we hold the deposit on a custodial protection, a party can raise a repayment request advising us how they wish the deposit to be released.

If one party responds disagreeing with the other party's repayment request, we will expect parties to negotiate and try to reach an agreement. During this period, you can still update the repayment request which will allow us to release the agreed parts of the deposit before referring your case to dispute resolution.

If you don't reach an agreement within the 10 working days of negotiation, the parties will be invited to upload evidence online with an explanation of the case for an impartial adjudicator to examine. You have a further 10 working days to do this and once both parties have uploaded their evidence, the case will be reviewed before this is sent to an adjudicator will decide how the deposit is to be divided.

Insured Scheme

The deposit on an insured protection is held by the letting agent/landlord. To notify us of a potential dispute, log onto your account via our website, and go to the 'My Options' page. Select your deposit and click 'raise a dispute'.

Once you have entered details of how you think the deposit should be divided, we will notify the deposit holder and invite them to upload their evidence online within 10 working days.

They will also have to transfer the disputed money to TDS Northern Ireland. Once both parties have uploaded their evidence the case will be reviewed before this is sent to an adjudicator will decide how the deposit is to be divided.
The adjudicator works on the basis that the deposit is the tenant’s money and will only award money to landlords and agents if the evidence provided justifies that claim.

Documentary evidence is usually essential to prove a case, such as:
Tenancy agreement – this sets out the obligations of both parties and is essential for any case.
Check-in report and/or inventory – to show the property’s condition at the start of the tenancy.
Check-out report – to show the condition of the property at the end of the tenancy – photographs or videos used in conjunction with an inventory to support the condition of items in the property.
Rent statement – to show what the tenant paid, for what periods of time and what is owed.
Estimates – to show the approximate cost of carrying out work/replacing things. The more detail, the better.
Quotes – to show the quoted cost of carrying out work or replacing things.
Invoices – to show the cost paid/to be paid for carrying out work/replacing things.
Receipts – to show the cost that the landlord or agent has paid out.
If there is disagreement at the end of the tenancy over how much of the deposit is returned to the tenant and how much the agent/landlord is entitled to keep, you can use the dispute resolution mechanism to resolve the tenancy deposit dispute.

It is free of charge and can be done online. Both parties present a case in writing supported by documentary evidence. An impartial adjudicator will examine the evidence and decide how the deposit is to be awarded.