DPS Complaints & Appeals

Mollymute

I've had a lot of problems with the DPS after leaving a property with an ex-partner earlier in the year. You can skip the next paragraph if you don't want to know the backstory.

I was the lead tenant on the property but it was rented together. I left in December however my ex was part way through a course at university. So I helped towards the rent and so on until she left. The landlord basically decided he wanted us out of his property and we were leaving anyway, but we'd verbally agreed to wait until my ex had finished the main part of her course. Weeks later the landlord welched on the agreement and put the legal work through to get my ex out a month early. In the process of moving stuff to other properties the washing machine was disconnected, but apparently enough water came through the disconnect pipe at the back of the sink to damage the shop below. In my opinion this was caused by the landlord's negligence and habit of getting cowboys in. You can literally see the property below through the small floorboards, the gaps between them and the hole which is much larger than the pipe that runs through them. There was only one thin bit of lino to stop water going through below.

The process of getting my deposit back has taken around 5 months. I only received a small portion of it. Throughout the whole process the DPS failed to contact me, until I eventually had some letters get passed on about 2-3 months after the property was officially vacated. It appears either the landlord or the DPS registered incorrect contact details. The only emails I have received from them are two to my direct emails asking what was happening. When I finally did receive letters they were invariably late. I had 3 days to get my form sent in saying I contested the deposit going to the landlord, instead of 2 weeks. These had my contact details in, which they've clearly ignored in follow-up correspondence. I emailed through evidence and so on, I have no idea whether it was taken into account because throughout they've simply said that my email doesn't match the one on their records in other emails. It is really beyond me how the use this initial email as a cast-iron thing and ignore everything else. I have a passport, driver's license, all the usual stuff, I'm an author, I have my contact details publicly available because of what I do and there's plenty of record of me on TV, radio etc. but apparently all that matters is some erroneous email account in their database.

I want to appeal their ruling, I have no way whatsoever of seeing how they arrived at their verdict or what they took into consideration. I also want to complain meaningfully about what an absolutely useless shower of crap the DPS have been throughout the whole process. Complaining to the DPS itself is futile and their replies just pretty much ignore everything and parrot the same line about my email not being on their records. I'm not sure whether there is an organisation regulates them or whether it is simply something I have to address to an MP or the press?

anselld

DPS operates mainly online. You should have checked your details were correctly registered when your deposit was first registered and certainly as soon as you knew you were entering into dispute. It is not sensible to rely on post when you are no longer living at the registered address.

You should still be able to get DPS to send you a copy of the Dispute Resolution findings however if you want to reverse any or all of their decision I think you will need to take it to Court.

Regarding the washing machine, who's was it and who did the disconnecting? If you disconnect from one of those spigot connections you must cap it off before using the sink. Whoever failed to do that is at fault.

FBaby

You must have agreed to go through the ADR so how did you do so if they didn't have your contact details?

You can't appeal the decision as you agreed to it whatever the outcome by your agreement to go through the ADR. You can try to complain, but you'll have to prove that they have failed to follow their policies and procedures.

Mollymute

As far as I can recall I signed some paperwork and the landlord registered the details. I don't see how it is acceptable for the DPS to basically just sit there with their fingers in their ears on the basis that they have a different email address in their records. I repeatedly contacted them and the only time they responded was to fob me off with my email not being registered.

I will try and get a copy of their findings but I suspect they'll just fob me off again.