Landlords keeping deposits main complaint at claims court

THE withholding of deposits on rents and apartments by landlords has emerged as the single biggest cause of complaints brought by consumers in the Small Claims Court last year.

Over 550 complaints about what is termed “key money” were lodged with the courts last year, accounting for around one in six of over 3,000 complaints filed with the Small Claims Court in 2004.

It is the second year in a row that complaints about deposits on rental property topped the list ahead of holidays as the main category of issues handled by the court.