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Deposit

Draft. Not counsel-reviewed. ChatLegal is not a solicitor. This is general information about tenancy deposits in England (EW), not legal advice, and not representation. Wales has its own deposit rules. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate schemes and are not covered here.

Eval lockedIn the locked evaluation set. Not a counsel-reviewed page.

Plain-English scope

If someone rents in England, GOV.UK says the landlord must deal with the deposit in a set way and must give set information. This page describes that public account. It does not decide a dispute, and it does not work out a sum of money for anyone.

The rule GOV.UK states

GOV.UK says that if you rent on an assured periodic tenancy (these replaced assured shorthold tenancies on 1 May 2026), the landlord must put the deposit in a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme within 30 days of getting it. Within 30 days the landlord must also give set information, including the scheme's name and contact details and how to get the deposit back. The legal rules are in the Housing Act 2004, Part 6, Chapter 4.

If it is not clear whether a deposit is protected, GOV.UK suggests contacting the approved schemes. In England those schemes are the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits, and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. This page names them because GOV.UK does. It does not link to their own sites. Have the name, the property address, the amount, and the payment date ready.

Useful papers, if they exist: proof of payment, the tenancy agreement, emails from the landlord or agent, and anything sent about a scheme.

If a scheme was not used

GOV.UK says a tenant can apply to the county court if the landlord did not use a scheme when they should have, and suggests writing to the landlord first. If the court finds the deposit was not protected, it can order the landlord to repay it or pay it into a scheme, and may also order a further payment. GOV.UK describes that further payment as "up to 3 times the deposit". Whether any award is made, and how much, is for the court. This page will not estimate a figure.

GOV.UK says a solicitor is not required for that application, and recommends legal advice first.

[verify] Award wording. The statutory wording in section 214 (lower and upper bounds, and the difference between a tenancy that is ongoing and one that has ended) was not fully read for the gold note. Counsel has not confirmed the paraphrase.

[verify] Deposits paid before 1 May 2026. Section 214(1ZA) is flagged in the gold note and the curated-laws seed. How to describe a deposit paid while the tenancy was still an assured shorthold tenancy is not settled here.

[verify] Time limits. No time limit for a deposit claim was found on the GOV.UK pages used for the gold note. None is stated here.

A court fee is listed on GOV.UK for Form N208. It is left off this page because fees change. Use the GOV.UK page.

GOV.UK also says a landlord seeking possession must show they followed the deposit rules. If a possession notice arrives, tell an adviser about the deposit. See Possession notice.

Official guidance

Accessed 3 November 2026.

What ChatLegal will and will not do

ChatLegal can explain the public rule and the links above. It will not guarantee money back, calculate a multiple of the deposit, draft particulars of claim, or write a demand to the landlord. It does not act for the tenant or the landlord.

Where to start if there is also a possession problem: Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service. Link list: Referrals.

Protocol and evaluation

Last reviewed

3 November 2026. Role: Product. Draft. Not a counsel-reviewed page.

© Crown and database right. Derived from content available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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