TDS Academy arrives to help agents and landlords get it right

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You may have read in a report published by TDS earlier this year that landlords and agents have been winning a larger share of awards in deposit disputes every year since 2007. In 2011-12 a larger share of disputed deposits were awarded to agents/landlords than to tenants for the first time. (You can read the Annual Adjudication Digest here).

The explanation for this? After five years of deposit protection, more agents are now more savvy in preparing for disputes with tenants. A better understanding of the law means fewer lose out because of mistakes in procedure and more agents know what records to keep to put forward effective evidence in a dispute.
 
We want to keep this ball rolling, and if there is one thing that everyone can agree on, it's that nobody wants a dispute at the end of the tenancy, and this is the motivation behind the new TDS Academy training programme.

Our previous Meet TDS events and training workshops received great feedback, but members also told us that they wanted more detail and the four modules featured in the new TDS Academy training programme give precisely this. They take the key points in the tenancy and give guidance on the issues letting agents need to know about.

Course One - Preparing for the end of the tenancy at the start is the first of four half day modules, and will launch in November.

It covers:

  • Understanding and complying with the legislation
  • Deposits and holding deposits
  • Prescribed Information and avoiding absconded tenants
  • Registering the deposit and recording changes during the tenancy
  • The tenancy agreement
  • Inventories and check in reports
  • Useful tenancy management, such as audit trails and managing tenancy swaps

Course 1 dates:
15th November 2012 (Afternoon) – Birmingham
20th November 2012 (Afternoon) – Manchester
21st November 2012 (Morning) - Newcastle
27th November 2012 (Morning and Afternoon) London - ***London course sold out***
4th December 2012 (Afternoon) – Exeter
11th December 2012 (Afternoon) - Wrexham

How much does it cost?

TDS is the only not for profit scheme and as a result we are able to keep attendance costs to a minimum. Cost per delegate is £55 per delegate, including VAT and refreshments. 

How can I reserve a place for Course One?

To book a place please complete this form and send to member.relations@tenancydepositscheme.com or post to TDS, PO Box 1255, Hemel Hempstead, HERTS HP1 9GN with your payment. Places are limited and allocated on a first come, first served basis.

What about the other three courses?

Dates for three further modules will be released in stages in the New Year, but this is what they will cover:

Course 2: End of tenancy management – avoiding disputes and managing expectations

The course takes and in-depth look at:

  • The check-out report
  • Practical use of photographs
  • Timescales to remember
  • resolving disputes in house and managing expectations

Course 3: The dispute process

The course takes an in-depth look at:

  • Putting together a claim to use the ADR service
  • Looking at the procedure for raising a dispute and how it works
  • Dealing with counterclaims
  • Dealing with difficult people and reaching an effective resolution

Course 4: Thinking like an adjudicator – the decision making process

  • What the adjudicator looks for to reach a decision
  • Decision making principles
  • Dealing with betterment
  • Case studies and examples

 TDS Academy


Posted by Ben Beadle, Head of Member Relations on 8 October 2012

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