The dispute process
After discussing the return of the deposit and any proposed deductions, you may not agree how much should be returned. If this happens, the tenant can raise a dispute through our free dispute resolution mechanism (DRM) service.
Our dispute process
Insured
Tenant begins the dispute
The tenant will need to contact us on 0333 321 9403 (Monday to Friday – 08:00 to 19:00) to inform us of the dispute. The dispute must be submitted within three months (minus one day) of the tenant moving out of the property or of the deposit being unprotected, whichever is the earliest.
Tenant provides claim and evidence
The tenant will have up to 10 working days to provide evidence from when they have submitted the dispute.
Landlord or agent lodges money
Within 10 working days of us notifying the landlord or agent of the dispute, they must send us the disputed deposit amount.
Landlord or agent provides claim and evidence
The landlord or agent will have a further 10 working days to provide evidence to support their claim.
Adjudication
The adjudicator will then make a decision within 20 working days. Once the adjudicator has made a decision, we will notify everyone, and the decision will be available for you to view on your online account.
Custodial
Tenant begins the dispute
The tenant raises a dispute through their mydeposits Northern Ireland online account by ‘disagreeing’ with the landlord’s or agent’s proposed release terms within 30 working days of their request. Find out more about the release process here.
Landlord or agent provides claim and evidence
The landlord or agent has 10 working days to provide evidence to support their claim.
Tenant provides evidence
The tenant then has 10 working days to provide evidence to support their claim.
Comments
The landlord or agent then has seven working days to respond to the tenant’s claim.
Adjudication
The adjudicator will then make a decision within 20 working days. Once the adjudicator has made a decision, we will notify everyone, and the decision will be available for you to view on your online account.
Our dispute process
What happens once the adjudicator has made a decision?
The agent, landlord or tenant may apply for a review within 10 working days of being notified of the decision, but only on the grounds that the adjudicator has erred in fact or in law, or both.