My landlord refused the deposit scheme's dispute service and says they'll take me to court. Can they?Beta*

Yes. The dispute service (ADR) only runs if both of you agree to it, so a landlord can refuse and go to the small claims court instead. If the deposit is in the custodial DPS scheme, the money stays with the scheme until you agree or a court decides. With an insured scheme, the landlord or agent holds the money but must pay the disputed amount to the scheme. Either way the deposit is safe. In a small claim the landlord still has to prove each deduction, and the court fee for a claim of this size is modest. If the landlord does nothing, you can apply to the scheme to release the money after a set period, so check your scheme's rules.

On this site: Money Claim Online workspace

Sources: Shelter: court action to get your deposit backGOV.UK: tenancy deposit protection