{"id":937,"date":"2024-10-28T10:01:21","date_gmt":"2024-10-28T10:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/articles\/tenants-deposit-scheme-guide-for-uk-landlords\/"},"modified":"2025-07-11T10:28:43","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T10:28:43","slug":"deposit-protection-scheme-a-landlords-guide","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/landlord-regulation\/deposit-protection-scheme-a-landlords-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Deposit protection schemes: a landlord&#8217;s guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200b\u200bMost UK landlords are required to put their tenant deposits in a government-approved tenant\u2019s deposit scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s what landlords should know about deposit protection scheme law, with expert input from <strong>Saiful Ahmed<\/strong>, a legal adviser at legal dispute specialists Arag Law. This article isn\u2019t advice, please use it only as a guide and speak to a professional if you\u2019d like more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is the deposit protection scheme?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From 2007, UK landlords have been legally required to protect their tenants\u2019 deposits in a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This applies to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/tenants\/assured-shorthold-tenancy-agreement\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1325\">assured shorthold tenancies<\/a>, which is the bracket that most private rentals automatically fall into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s not compulsory to take a deposit from your tenants. But if you do, then you need to put it in the scheme within 30 days of getting it, and provide your tenants with a copy of the deposit protection certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You also need to supply your tenants with certain information (called \u2018prescribed information\u2019), which includes details about the deposit protection scheme you\u2019ve chosen and information about what happens if there\u2019s a dispute over the deposit. See the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/tenancy-deposit-protection\/information-landlords-must-give-tenants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">list of prescribed information on gov.uk<\/a>. Your deposit protection scheme may help you with this, for example by providing a template.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These rules protect tenants by making sure they get the deposit back \u2013 as long as they pay rent, meet the terms of their tenancy agreement and don\u2019t damage the property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is the maximum tenancy deposit in the UK?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saiful Ahmed, from Arag Law, explains what you can charge for under the tenancy deposit scheme:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">holding deposits, capped at one week\u2019s rent<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">security deposits, capped at five weeks\u2019 rent where the annual rent is less than \u00a350,000 and six weeks\u2019 rent where the annual rent is \u00a350,000 or more<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">default fees (fees you can charge during the tenancy) are limited to the reasonable costs incurred for replacing a key or lost security device, or interest on rent overdue by 14 days or more (capped at three per cent above the Bank of England base rate)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What reasons can a landlord keep a deposit in the UK?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The main reason to keep a tenant\u2019s deposit is because the property has not been left in a similar state to how they found it. You would keep some of the deposit to cover the costs of the changes you need to make to the property.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Common reasons you might keep some of your tenant\u2019s deposit would be for:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">cleaning costs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">gardening costs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/tenants\/landlords-guide-to-managing-rent-arrears\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1397\">unpaid rent<\/a> or bills&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">replacing damaged or missing items&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">unfairly breaking the rules of their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/tenants\/guide-to-types-of-tenancy-agreements-in-the-uk\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1394\">tenancy agreement <\/a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But you can only take the amount you need to cover the costs and must return the remaining deposit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And there\u2019s also a fair amount of wear and tear that happens from everyday life that you cannot claim back. Examples of wear and tear are:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-001\">\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">scuffs on the walls&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">worn flooring or carpet&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">faded or worn furniture and curtains<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes you won&#8217;t agree with your tenant on what is considered fair wear and tear. This is where your deposit protection scheme comes into play \u2013 they\u2019ll assess the wear on the property depending on how long and how many people have lived there and try to resolve the dispute.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long does a landlord have to return a deposit in the UK?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the UK, landlords have <strong>10 days<\/strong> to return a tenant&#8217;s deposit after both parties agree on the amount to be returned. If you and your tenant cannot agree on an amount within 10 days, the undisputed amount needs to be reimbursed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then once the tenancy deposit scheme has resolved the dispute, the remaining amount is distributed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-300-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-69910985 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:10px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90)\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our guide on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/tenants\/end-of-tenancy-checklist-for-landlords\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1035\">end of the tenancy process<\/a> goes through each step you should take when a tenant leaves your property.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"besttenancydepositschemeforlandlords\">Best tenancy deposit scheme for landlords<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are a number of government-backed deposit protection schemes that landlords can use, depending on where you live in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The schemes come in two different types. If you opt for a <strong>custodial scheme<\/strong>, you put the deposit in the care of the deposit protection company, and they hold it until the end of the tenancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you choose an <strong>insured scheme<\/strong>, you keep the tenant\u2019s deposit, and you pay the deposit protection company a fee to insure it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s up to you to choose which scheme to put the deposit into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tenancydepositschemesenglandandwales\">Tenancy deposit schemes (England and Wales)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Legal expert Saiful Ahmed mentions that landlords and their agents can choose to use either of these schemes: \u201cEach scheme has its own rules about the initial requirements that need to be fulfilled to protect the deposit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most popular options are the ones which are backed by the government, namely the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.depositprotection.com\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Deposit Protection Service<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mydeposits.co.uk\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">MyDeposits<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tenancydepositscheme.com\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Tenancy Deposit Scheme<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tenancydepositschemesscotland\">Tenancy deposit schemes (Scotland)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The government-approved deposit protection schemes in Scotland are the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lettingprotectionscotland.com\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Letting Protection Service (LPS) Scotland<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mydepositsscotland.co.uk\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">mydeposits Scotland<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.safedepositsscotland.com\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">SafeDeposits Scotland<\/a>. Again, it\u2019s entirely up to you which one you use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tenancydepositschemesnorthernireland\">Tenancy deposit schemes (Northern Ireland)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As with the rest of the UK, there are three appointed deposit protection scheme administrators in Northern Ireland. These are the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tdsnorthernireland.com\/home\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Tenancy Deposit Scheme Northern Ireland<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/mydepositsni.co.uk\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">My Deposits Northern Ireland<\/a> and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lettingprotectionni.com\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Letting Protection Service NI<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"whatarethetenancydepositschemecosts\">What are the tenancy deposit scheme costs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fees and fee structures vary, so it\u2019s worth comparing the prices and services offered by each government-approved provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Custodial schemes are usually free of charge, while insured schemes cost around \u00a313 to \u00a320 for deposits up to \u00a3500, and around \u00a318 to \u00a326 for deposits over \u00a3500. This fee covers the term of the tenancy. Keep in mind that you may also have to pay a membership or joining fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"thetenancydepositprotectioncertificate\">The tenancy deposit protection certificate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you\u2019ve put a deposit in a tenancy deposit scheme, the scheme will provide you with a receipt or certificate. The rules require you to give a copy of this tenancy deposit protection certificate to your tenants, and to anyone else who has contributed to the deposit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"depositnotprotectedwhathappensnext\">Deposit not protected \u2013 what happens next?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have an assured shorthold tenancy and you fail to protect your tenant\u2019s deposit, your tenant can take you to court to get compensation. The court can demand that you pay compensation of up to three times the value of the deposit, and they may also order you to protect the deposit or to return it to the tenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you want to evict your tenant, your rights to do so will be restricted if you haven\u2019t protected their tenancy deposit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So if you haven\u2019t protected the deposit, you should do so as soon as possible (if you don\u2019t protect your tenant\u2019s deposit within 30 days, you\u2019ve broken tenancy deposit protection rules).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"whatarethelatesttenancydepositschemerules\">What are the latest tenancy deposit scheme rules?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saiful Ahmed, from Arag Law, explains: \u201cThe Tenant Fees Act 2019 started on 1 June 2019 and applies to all assured shorthold tenancies, tenancies of student accommodation and licences to occupy housing in the private rented sector in England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe act limits the amount you can charge a tenant for a holding deposit and security deposit and defines what you can charge in addition to rent. Certain fees and charges are permitted under the act, whereas others are defined as prohibited payments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As deposits are capped, Saiful goes on to mention other steps landlords can take to reduce their risk: \u201cLandlords can carry out credit checks to assess how much the tenant can afford to pay and the sort of income they have. When a landlord is running a credit check on a tenant, they will only be able to see publicly available data on the resulting credit report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLandlords should consider using a full tenant referencing service, instead of requesting just a simple credit check. Tenant referencing agencies specialise in tenant screening for landlords and can deliver much more detailed reports. These will provide a more in-depth overview of your tenant\u2019s suitability for your property.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More useful guides for landlords <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/rental\/how-to-work-out-rental-yield-for-uk-properties\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1002\">What is rental yield and how is it calculated?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/tenants\/what-is-a-sitting-tenant-and-what-are-your-rights\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1194\">A landlords guide to sitting tenants <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/landlord-insurance\/faq\/how-much-landlord-insurance-do-i-need\/\">How much landlord insurance do I need?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Would you like to know any more about deposit protection scheme law? Let us know in the comments below?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-94e519ba wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"getsetwithtailoredlandlordcover\">Get set with tailored landlord cover<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">Over 200,000 UK landlord policies, a 9\/10 customer rating and claims handled by an award-winning team. Looking to switch or start a new policy? Run a quick <a href=\"\/landlord-insurance\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1608\">landlord insurance quote<\/a> today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/quote.simplybusiness.co.uk\/landlord\">Start your quote<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-end\">\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most landlords are required to put tenant deposits in a tenant\u2019s deposit scheme.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":26450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"sb_hreflang":"","sb_hreflang_url":"","disable_breadcrumbs":false,"sb_breadcrumbs":[],"sb_reviewed_by":"","sb_review_date":"","sb_enable_content_gating":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[336,114,334],"hidden-category":[],"coauthors":[23],"class_list":["post-937","knowledge","type-knowledge","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-structure","category-landlord-news","category-landlord-regulation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Tenants deposit scheme: guide to the rules for UK landlords<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Most UK landlords are required to put tenants&#039; deposits in a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme. 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