By Tony Booth

With so much happening in the political and economic arenas, it's easy to miss some of the less dramatic, but nonetheless important developments occurring in the buy-to-let sector. The following pieces of information are pertinent to all landlords letting property in the UK.

Don't Get Duped on Tenant Deposits

The National Federation of Property Professionals (NFPP) has recently issued an urgent warning to all landlords taking deposits from tenants in England and Wales. Most landlords will (and should) already be aware that tenant deposits are now regulated through active legislation, which protects all deposit funds taken from tenants and prevents landlords from abusing or misappropriating this money.

A tenant's deposit must be registered within one of three Government authorised Schemes, either by the landlord operating under his own steam or by a letting or managing agent operating on behalf of the landlord. The only Government-authorised Schemes are: