A SCOTTISH government approved tenancy deposit scheme has taken in £300,000 of student accommodation deposits ahead of the new academic year.

SafeDeposits Scotland said it has received 1,200 new deposits from the Student Housing Company which has opened three buildings in Edinburgh along with one in St Andrews.

Jen Paice, chief executive of SafeDeposits, said: “We’re delighted to be appointed by the Student Housing Company to safeguard these deposits.

“The student accommodation market is hugely important not just to Scotland’s private rented sector but to our economy in general, so it’s crucial that students are properly looked after and treated fairly as they embark on their academic year.”

SafeDeposits, founded in 2012 as a not-for-profit business, has so far attracted £64.8m of deposits.