TDS on firm financial footing, Partington tells agents

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme is on a firm financial footing and will continue to offer the most cost-efficient deposit protection for agents and their landlords.

That was the message heard by a meeting of the ARLA Members Advisory Forum yesterday.
 
TDS chairman Professor Martin Partington told the agents, who represent the scheme’s largest group of members, that he and new chief executive Steve Harriott aim to create a partnership with them that makes the TDS first choice for deposit protection for professional lettings agents, their landlords and their tenants.
 
Partington said: “To build this partnership we will remain competitive, be cost-effective and listen to the concerns of agents. To this end we will make no additional charges during the second half of this financial year for registering tenancies under the new £100,000 threshold for Assured Shorthold Tenancies in England.”

He added that a steering group to establish a members’ user forum would be meeting shortly. The steering group would also concentrate on some proposed changes to TDS rules to deal with time limits for raising disputes.

Partington said that TDS is achieving an excellent performance in turning around adjudications quickly and producing judgements that are fair and reasonable.

He went on: “However, we shall be working with agents, landlords and tenants over the coming months to assess what everyone really thinks of our disputes services and we will be feeding the results of this assessment back to the members.
 
“This is in line with the commitment that I made on my appointment as chairman.

“TDS will be more transparent with its members. We are committed to improve our openness and accountability and I hope we have already been seen to do this. We also want to hear from members how we can improve our business, and we need to get better at explaining what we are doing and why.”

The meeting was told that the TDS will be raising its profile through newsletters, attending conferences, member briefings and training sessions and improving the website.
 
New TDS boss Harriott said: “On this, my second day at TDS, I would like to reiterate that our aim is to be the first choice for deposit protection because we offer real value for money, excellent customer services and an effective and fair adjudication service.

“I am looking forward to getting around and meeting agents to discuss how we can help each other to this end.”