#NewsStory: CACHE Research Aims to Improve Standards in Private Rented Sector

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TDS’ Charitable Foundation (TDSCF) and the SafeDeposits Scotland Charitable Trust (SDSCT) are funding a major UK-wide research programme being run by Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE).

The organisations jointly awarded funding of just under £300,000 over three years to the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), a consortium of 14 institutions led by the University of Glasgow.

With similar remits, both TDSCF and SDSCT work to raise standards in the private rented sector by advancing education on housing rights and obligations. In the first year of the programme, the CaCHE research team will carry out research projects on resolving disputes, tackling low standards and protecting tenancy deposits. A scoping document will be published in the coming weeks.

Professor Martin Partington CBE, QC, chair of the TDS Charitable Foundation said: “We’ve been running the Foundation since 2014 and have awarded hundreds and thousands of pounds of grants to the likes of the National Union of Students and the Centre for Sustainable Energy.

“These have been projects that have really helped improve education and standards throughout the private rented sector. Recently, our trustees, along with those of our sister organisation – the SafeDeposits Scotland Charitable Trust – felt that we could do more to tackle the underlying issues within the private rented sector by working collaboratively.”

John Duff, chair of the SafeDeposits Scotland Charitable Trust, added: “The money awarded to CaCHE researchers is the first time the Trust and Foundation have made a combined grant, and represents the largest amount each organisation has given to a single body. By making this major grant to CaCHE we hope to provide a body of research to help policymakers and practitioners make decisions based on reliable and accurate evidence.”

Dr Jennifer Harris, Senior Research Associate for the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), said: “Debate continues over how policy can most effectively respond to changes in the private rented sector and this TDSCF/SDSCT-funded research programme will produce findings that are relevant to the challenges, policy responses and nature of the PRS across the UK.”

TDSCF is funded by donations from The Dispute Service (TDS) while SDSCT is funded by SafeDeposits Scotland from surpluses the scheme generates over and above the costs of running its business. Both TDS and its sister organisation SafeDeposits Scotland operate tenancy deposit protection schemes on a not-for-profit basis.

TDSCF has been running since 2014 and has made grants totalling £851,882.33 (including the CaCHE funding). SDSCT has been in operation since 2016 and has made grants of £272,745.

The total awarded funding to CaCHE is £295,521 over a three-year period. Approximately one third of funding will come from SDS Trust and two thirds from TDSCF.

Find out more about each organisation involved via the links below:

About TDS

Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) is a government-approved scheme for the protection of tenancy deposits; TDS offers both Insured and Custodial protection and also provides fair adjudication for disputes that arise over the tenancy deposits that we protect.

We provide invaluable training in tenancy deposit protection and disputes for agents and landlords through the TDS Academy as well as joining with MOL to provide the Technical Award in Residential Tenancy Deposits.

TDS Insured Scheme: where a TDS member can hold the tenancy deposits as stakeholder during the term of the tenancy.

TDS Custodial Scheme: where TDS hold the deposit for the duration of the tenancy.

TDS Academy: TDS provides property professionals with invaluable training in tenancy deposit protection and tenancy deposit disputes.

TDS Northern Ireland: TDS is Northern Ireland’s leading and only not for profit tenancy deposit protection scheme.

TDS can only comment on the process for our scheme, other deposit protection schemes may have a different process/require different steps. Content is correct at the time of writing.

These views are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the view of TDS, its officers and employees.

RLA: If you are a landlord and would like to keep up to date with any changes that may affect you or your responsibilities, you can contact the RLA at: info@rla.org.uk and quote reference: dg715 to receive 25% off your first year’s membership.