Updating post from Reddit.
I've been sharing with some other people. The bills were in my name, and I paid them off completely, which I've shown my landlord. The other tenants paid me their shares, but there are some outstanding payments from them to me. The landlord is refusing to give us our deposits back until I show all these debts have been paid - but I would like my deposit back, and this debt is between us, and has no bearing on him whatsoever. I have no idea what to do.
I tried to deflect by saying I was comfortable with the deposits being returned regardless, but this didn't work.
Go straight to the deposit protection company and raise a dispute.
Your landlord can choose to release the deposit "early" but its not his choice to not release it at all or set conditions such as this. It would be up to the Deposit Protection Company to hold the deposit.
Plus, like you say. As money is owed between tenants, it has nothing to do with him, and the DPS would not care.
Plus x2, it's nothing to do with the landlord if you paid 3rd party bills at all (gas, electric, etc..) it says with you (the bill holder) not the property or the landlord.
We moved out in early June so it's not early, but I can't find any notice on the latest it can be paid out in the contract itself (which is the generic Scottish contract).
its not really upto him. Notify the council as well, of such actions. Keep in mind, the deposit schemes generally favour tenants over landlords, so bring this to their attention. I actually came across this checklist that helped me a lot as a first time renter https://keepyourlandlordincheck.framer.ai/
hope this helps!