The Tenancy Deposit Service has confirmed it is aware of the sudden closure of Cambridgeshire lettings firm Kirby Property Management.
The firm, which had been a member of NALS, operated out of Cambourne. It also has offices in Cambridge and St Neots.
The firm’s website carries a warning message on Google, saying it may have been hacked, while the local newspaper has reported that tenants and landlords have been unable to make contact with anyone at the firm.
Telephones at all three branches are diverted to a recorded message.
Steve Harriott, CEO of the TDS, said: “We are aware of the closure of Kirby Property Management and can confirm their membership of TDS has been suspended. We have contacted their tenants and landlords to advise them of the next steps.
“Provided tenants contact us in the next three months whilst their deposits are still protected, they will still have the opportunity of making a claim when their tenancies finally end. We urge them to respond to our letter as soon as possible.”
Comments (5)
Three months to respond to a written notification does seem more than ample.
All the more reason for landlords & agents to use custodial deposit protection.
Many agents and their landlord clients are unaware that if the tenant does not raise ‘a dispute’ with the TDS claiming the return of their deposit within 90 days the deposit becomes unprotected and legal liability falls to the landlord for up to three times the deposit in the event of misappropriation.
One could argue that, as the initial requirements of the scheme have been complied with, no breech has taken place.
It’s a good point – and I don’t know how TDS would respond to it – but on the face of it unscrupulous tenants could decide not to respond to TDS so as to intentionally allow the deposit to become unprotected….
But, at the same time, there is presumably nothing stopping the landlords arranging to protect the deposit themselves; either with TDS, or one of the others.