Highland Deposit Guarantee Scheme

How to apply

You will be interviewed by a Housing and Property Service officer.

You will need to give references, including one from a previous landlord.

The landlord decides whether to offer you the tenancy.

If you have already found a property:

• speak to the landlord about the scheme
• or contact us and ask us to speak to the landlord for you

What support you will get

We will help you with:

• completing Housing Benefit or Local Housing Allowance forms
• a needs assessment, if appropriate
• housing support in your area

Housing support may include:

• help with form filling
• accessing benefits
• budgeting
• referrals to other support services

We also:

• check in regularly to make sure your tenancy is going well
• offer mediation if problems arise between you and your landlord

What happens at the start of your tenancy

If a landlord contacts us directly, we will view the property with them.

Once a suitable tenant is found:

• you will view the property with the landlord
• we will carry out an eligibility and financial assessment
• if you are eligible, you will sign the tenancy agreement and inventory with the landlord

What happens at the end of your tenancy

At the end of the tenancy:

• the landlord, tenant and our staff will inspect the property together
• the inspection will be based on the inventory agreed at the start
• any eligible claim will be paid directly to the landlord, either from the guarantee or from payments you have made