Deposit Protection Service > Disputes > How long does dispute resolution take?
Disputes can take a lot longer to resolve than coming to an agreement directly with your tenant. To illustrate why it takes the time it does, we’ve laid out all the steps in the timeline below. Disputes often last for the full duration, though it’s worth bearing in mind that our adjudicators do resolve many disputes in a shorter timeframe.
Day 1
The claim formally enters dispute. We email instructions to the landlord and tenant to collate and submit evidence. Both parties have 14 calendar days from the date of this email to submit their evidence. We won’t request specific items of evidence so make sure you submit everything relevant to your claim.Day 15
All evidence from the landlord and tenant must be submitted by this date.Day 16
Our Disputes team needs up to seven calendar days to complete pre-adjudication assessment of all evidence. If they identify a problem with the evidence, the team may contact the landlord or tenant for clarification, which can delay sending the dispute to an adjudicator.Day 23
The dispute is sent to an adjudicator who then has up to 28 calendar days to review all the evidence submitted against the claim and reach a decision on how the deposit will be repaid. Adjudicators can reach a decision more quickly but often need the full 28 days.Day 51
The adjudicator reaches their decision and communicates the result to our Disputes team.Day 53
Our Disputes team sends details of the adjudicator’s decision to the landlord and tenants. It then takes a three to five working days following the decision for any payments to be completed.
These timings may be extended in certain circumstances, most often when a query arises regarding the evidence or the claim itself, either during the pre-adjudication assessment or the main adjudication.