A campaign to tackle the issue of landlords in Ireland withholding tenants’ deposits was launched this week by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).

According to the USI, almost 60% of renters in Ireland experience difficulties getting their deposit back.

As part of its Homes for Study campaign, the union will announce a partnership with deposit management service Deposify.

The company is backed by Bank of Ireland and, according to its founder, John Bayle, offers landlords and tenants a joint account for rental deposits, which lets them “manage and control” how and when deposits are paid and resolve deposit-related disputes.

USI president Annie Hoey said: “Last year, Ireland saw many problems in the accommodation sector, but this year USI is at the forefront of finding solutions to these problems, and a deposit management service with Deposify is a perfect solution for deposit disputes.”