Deposit Protection Schemes

BitterAndTwisted

You have misunderstood: a landlord would be a bloody fool to register a deposit which they have not received from their tenant! This would expose them to the risk of having to pay it back despite never having received it in the first place.

There are ways and means of ensuring a deposit gets returned without it having been protected. Like not paying the last month's rent or taking the landlord to the Small Claims Court after the tenancy ends, for instance. Does your partner want to have their tenancy ended? I suspect that this will happen quite soon if they don't pay the deposit.

Nebulous

Ok, that I understand - However, he has blatently refused outright to use one of the schemes so I dont really want to send him £1k until he gives me some reassurance that he will put the money into a scheme rather then his savings account like he suggested.

Werdnal

I can only speak for DPS as that is the scheme I use, but I registered and lodged the deposit online in a few minutes - paid direct with debit card into the DPS account. LL is then supposed to send a copy of the information to the tenant, and DPS usually follow up with contact to the tenant themselves, either via email or postal letter. They will confirm registration and details of how tenant can actually log in "see" their deposit online themselves.

I'm sure the other schemes will be similarly set up, so you will now if the LL has used one.

Sadly, as said elsewhere, the recent court judgements have done little to enforce the penalties originally mooted when the schemes came into being. If you do decide to take your LL for court, for non-protection, the LL only has to register the deposit somewhere before the court date, and he is resolved of any fault!!!! However, as I mentioned earlier, LL probably doesn't know that (if his apparent scorn of the rules is any indication), so try telling him that you might consider claiming the 3x penalty if he doesn't comply!