Deposit Protection Guide
Understand how tenancy deposit protection works in England and Wales, and check whether your deposit was protected within the legal 30-day deadline.
How Deposit Protection Works
If you rent under an assured shorthold tenancy in England or Wales, your landlord is legally required to protect your deposit. Here’s what that means in practice.
Approved Schemes Only
Deposits must go into one of three government-approved schemes: the Deposit Protection Service (DPS), mydeposits, or the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). No other arrangement is legally valid.
30-Day Deadline
Your landlord or agent has 30 days from receiving the deposit to protect it and to give you the “prescribed information” confirming where it’s held and how disputes are resolved.
Compensation for Non-Compliance
If the deadline is missed, a tenant can go to court and may be awarded between one and three times the deposit amount, on top of getting the deposit itself protected or returned.
Check Your Protection Deadline
Enter the date your landlord or agent received your deposit to see the legal 30-day protection deadline and whether it has already passed.
Tenancy Details
Enter your deposit and tenancy information
Protection Status
Your deadline and days remaining or overdue
The Three Approved Schemes
England and Wales have three government-approved tenancy deposit protection schemes. Each offers both a free custodial option and a paid insured option for landlords.
| Scheme | Type | Who Holds the Money | Cost to Landlord |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deposit Protection Service (DPS) | Custodial & Insured | Custodial: the scheme. Insured: the landlord. | Custodial: free. Insured: fee per deposit. |
| mydeposits | Custodial & Insured | Custodial: the scheme. Insured: the landlord. | Custodial: free. Insured: fee per deposit. |
| Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) | Custodial & Insured | Custodial: the scheme. Insured: the landlord. | Custodial: free. Insured: fee per deposit. |
Deposit Protection FAQ
Everything you need to know about your rights around tenancy deposit protection.
Tenancy deposit protection is a legal requirement in England and Wales for landlords to place a tenant’s deposit into one of three government-approved schemes. It ensures the deposit is held securely and that any disputes over deductions at the end of the tenancy are resolved fairly.
A landlord or letting agent must protect the deposit in an approved scheme and give the tenant the prescribed information within 30 days of receiving it. This applies to assured shorthold tenancies in England and Wales.
If a landlord fails to protect the deposit or provide the prescribed information within 30 days, a tenant can apply to the county court, which can order the landlord to pay compensation of between one and three times the deposit amount, as well as protect the deposit or return it.
Your landlord or agent should have given you prescribed information within 30 days of paying your deposit, which names the scheme and provides your protection reference. You can also use each scheme’s own online deposit checker, run by the Deposit Protection Service, mydeposits, or the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, using details like your postcode and tenancy dates.