Absent Tenant Procedure
In cases where the tenant cannot be contacted at the end of the tenancy, there may not be any need to raise a dispute with TDS – and consequently no need for TDS to call in the deposit. In these circumstances members can use the absent tenant procedure to pay their landlord clients direct, without going through adjudication or the courts.
The procedure is set out in full in TDS’ Rules for the Independent Resolution of Tenancy Deposit Disputes and is summarised below. The advantage for members is that using the absent tenant procedure reduces the number of disputes that members need to lodge with TDS, which in turn affects membership fees. The advantage for landlords is that their claim against the deposit may be paid more quickly.