To ask the Minister for Social Development what communication his Department has had with universities to put mechanisms in place at the end of the academic year to encourage students to ensure their tenancy deposits are protected.

Since the introduction of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, on 1 April 2013, my Department has been engaged in an information campaign on the protection of tenancy deposits, including communication with universities.

In July 2013 the Department wrote to all of the universities asking them to include Departmental guidance on tenancy deposit protection on each of their websites. In recent weeks each university and college has received information about the scheme. My officials have also been present at university fresher’s weeks to encourage students at the beginning of the academic year to check that their landlord has protected the deposit with an approved tenancy deposit scheme administrator. Students living in the private rented sector are being advised that their landlord should have protected the deposit within 14 of receiving it and provided them with prescribed information within 28 of receiving the deposit. Where a landlord has failed to comply with these requirements then tenants are being encouraged to report this to their local council environmental health department who are responsible for enforcing the scheme requirements.

These steps are in addition to the publicity that each tenancy deposit scheme administrator undertakes individually.