If you rent privately in England or Wales, your deposit must be held in one of three government-approved schemes: the Deposit Protection Service, the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, or mydeposits. Your landlord has 30 calendar days from receiving the money to protect it and to serve you with the prescribed information explaining where it is.
All three schemes let you check online, free, in about a minute. Do it now rather than at the end of the tenancy, because an unprotected deposit entitles you to compensation of one to three times the deposit on top of getting the money back, and that claim is far easier to bring while you still hold the paperwork.
Quick answer: Check protection free on all three scheme websites using your surname, postcode and deposit amount. Deposits are capped at five weeks’ rent where annual rent is under £50,000. If a deduction is proposed at the end, use the scheme’s free dispute service rather than accepting it, because the burden of proving a deduction sits with the landlord.
Planning a Move?
Whether you’re moving next week or just starting your research, our friendly team is happy to help. Get a free, no-obligation quote, ask a question, or simply find out what your move might cost.
✓ Free, no-obligation quote
✓ Friendly advice from experienced movers
✓ No pressure. No spam. Just honest help
Complete the quick form below—we'll get back to you shortly.
The three schemes, and why it matters which
| Scheme | Custodial | Insured | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deposit Protection Service | Yes, free to the landlord | Yes | Custodial means the scheme holds your money, not the landlord |
| Tenancy Deposit Scheme | Yes | Yes | Widely used by letting agents |
| mydeposits | Yes | Yes | Popular with landlords who prefer to hold the money |
The custodial and insured distinction is the one worth understanding. Under a custodial scheme the money is transferred to the scheme and sits there for the whole tenancy, so the landlord never holds it. Under an insured scheme the landlord keeps the cash and pays an annual fee, typically £20 to £30, to insure it.
Both are equally valid and equally protected. The practical difference at the end of a tenancy is speed: custodial schemes release the agreed amount directly, while insured schemes rely on the landlord paying you, with the scheme stepping in if they do not. Neither affects your rights.
All three are free for tenants to use, including the dispute service. Any cost falls on the landlord or agent.
Checking your deposit is actually protected
Each scheme has a free online checker. You need your surname, the property postcode, the deposit amount and usually the tenancy start date. Check all three rather than one, because you may not have been told correctly which scheme was used.
If a search returns nothing on all three, do not assume the worst immediately. Common innocent explanations are the deposit being registered under a joint tenant’s name, a slightly different spelling, or a deposit protected a few days later than you remember. Ask the landlord or agent in writing for the scheme name, the reference number and a copy of the prescribed information.
The prescribed information is a specific document rather than a casual email. It must state which scheme holds the deposit, the amount, the property address, the landlord’s contact details, how to apply for the deposit back, and how disputes are handled. Schemes issue standard certificates for this, and a landlord drafting their own frequently omits something required.
Keep whatever you receive. The prescribed information, the tenancy agreement, the inventory and any check-in report are the four documents that decide almost every deposit dispute, and they are much harder to obtain two years later.
What happens if it was never protected
Where a deposit was not protected within 30 days, or the prescribed information was not served, a county court can order the deposit returned plus compensation of one to three times its value. Protecting it late does not extinguish the claim.
On a £1,200 deposit that means a potential award of £1,200 to £3,600 in compensation, plus the £1,200 deposit itself. The amount awarded is at the court’s discretion and reflects how serious the breach was, whether it was deliberate, and whether the landlord put it right once told.
- Write first. A letter setting out the breach and asking for the deposit and compensation resolves a lot of these without a claim.
- The claim survives the tenancy. You can bring it after you have moved out, subject to the usual limitation period.
- Court fees are scaled. Broadly £35 to £455 depending on the sum claimed, with means-tested remission available through Help with Fees.
- Late protection still counts. A landlord who protects the money in month four has still breached the 30-day rule.
- Get advice before issuing. Shelter, Citizens Advice and local housing advice services all cover this and are free.
Around a significant minority of landlords still fail to serve compliant prescribed information even where the money itself is protected, and that is a breach in its own right. It is worth checking both things rather than only whether the money is in a scheme.
Got questions about your move?
Every move is different. Tell us a bit about yours and we’ll help you figure out what you actually need.
Takes less than a minute, no obligation
Fast Respond
Get Help Now.
Deductions, and who has to prove what
The burden of proving a deduction sits with the landlord, not with you. They must evidence that the condition of the property is worse than at check-in, allowing for fair wear and tear, and that the amount claimed is reasonable rather than a betterment.
Fair wear and tear is the concept that decides most disputes. A carpet that has aged over four years of normal occupation is wear and tear. A carpet with a cigarette burn is damage. Landlords cannot use a deposit to upgrade a property, and adjudicators apply depreciation: a five-year-old carpet with a two-year remaining life is not replaced at full cost.
| Claimed as | Usually allowed? | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning below check-in standard | Yes | The check-in inventory and photographs |
| Carpet worn over several years | No | Fair wear and tear, apportioned by age |
| Stains, burns, tears | Yes, apportioned | Age of the item and remaining life |
| Redecoration of whole rooms | Rarely in full | Betterment, and paint has a limited life |
| Missing items from the inventory | Yes | Whether the inventory listed them |
| Rent arrears | Yes | Payment records |
| Garden left overgrown | Sometimes | Whether the tenancy made it your responsibility |
Cleaning is consistently the largest single cause of disputed deductions, which is why our guide to end of tenancy cleaning prices covers what a landlord can and cannot require.
Using the free dispute service
We looked at how the scheme dispute route compares with simply accepting a proposed deduction, because the service is free, binding and consistently underused.
| Step | What happens | Timescale | Cost to you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landlord proposes deductions | You agree, partly agree, or dispute | At the end of the tenancy | Nothing |
| Agree the undisputed part | That portion is released to you immediately | Around 10 days | Nothing |
| Raise a dispute with the scheme | Both sides submit evidence | Deadlines set by the scheme | Free |
| Adjudication | An independent adjudicator decides on the papers | Commonly a few weeks | Free |
| Decision | Binding, and the money is released accordingly | Shortly after | Free |
Two findings are worth carrying into a dispute. First, you can agree part and dispute the rest. Tenants often assume challenging one deduction holds up the entire deposit, so they accept the lot to get the money quickly. Agreeing the undisputed portion releases it while the argument continues over the remainder.
Second, adjudication is decided on documents alone. There is no hearing and nobody visits the property. That makes photographs, the check-in inventory, the check-out report and dated correspondence decisive, and it means a well-evidenced tenant frequently does better than a landlord relying on assertion.
Photograph every room on the day you hand back the keys, with the date visible, including inside appliances and behind furniture. That single habit wins more deposit disputes than anything else.
This is general information rather than legal advice. Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and you should check the current position or take advice on your own circumstances.
See why 1000+ customers chose us.
Fully insured, transparent pricing, and no hidden fees. Get your free quote and see for yourself.
No obligation, just a clear price
Eco-Friendly Moves
UK Trusted Movers
When disputing is not worth it
If the deduction is small, well evidenced against a clear check-in inventory, and you genuinely caused the damage, disputing wastes several weeks and rarely succeeds. Adjudicators are neutral rather than tenant-friendly, and a weak challenge is simply refused.
Tenant-facing advice tends to encourage disputing everything. That is not always in your interest, particularly where you need the money quickly and the sum in question is modest.
The situations genuinely worth disputing are a deduction with no supporting evidence, a claim for full replacement of an item that was already worn, cleaning charged where the property was returned as found, or a figure that simply exceeds any reasonable cost for the work described. Those are the ones adjudicators routinely reduce.
Where there was no check-in inventory at all, the landlord is in a weak position on almost any condition-based deduction, because they have nothing to compare against. That is worth knowing before you concede anything.
And if you are moving out shortly, our checklist for moving out of a flat covers the practical steps that prevent most deductions arising in the first place.
How EcoGreen Movers helps protect a deposit
Most avoidable deductions come from damage caused during the move itself: scuffed walls on a staircase, a chipped door frame, marks on a carpet. EcoGreen Movers protects floors and door frames as standard and carries full insurance on every job, which matters more in a rented property than an owned one.
Furniture forced through a doorway is where most of that damage starts, which is the practical case for Standard Plus, since a wardrobe dismantled properly does not take a chunk out of the frame on the way out. Standard covers the loading and unloading, and Premium adds the packing. Boxes are available on their own, and storage is worth knowing about where a tenancy ends before the next place is ready, since rushing a check-out is how deposits get lost.
We run residential moves across the UK, including London, Manchester and Edinburgh, using reusable crates that suit flats and stair carries better than cardboard. Get in touch for a quote.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check my deposit is protected?
Use the free online checkers on all three scheme websites, entering your surname, the property postcode, the deposit amount and usually the tenancy start date. Check all three rather than assuming you were told the right one, and ask the landlord in writing if nothing appears.
How long does a landlord have to protect it?
Thirty calendar days from receiving the money, and the same deadline applies to serving the prescribed information. Missing either can result in a county court ordering the deposit returned plus compensation of one to three times its value.
How much can a deposit be?
Five weeks’ rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, and six weeks above that, under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. Anything above the cap is a prohibited payment and recoverable. The holding deposit paid earlier is separate and capped at one week’s rent.
Who proves whether a deduction is fair?
The landlord. They must evidence that the property is in worse condition than at check-in, beyond fair wear and tear, and that the amount is reasonable. Adjudicators apportion for the age and remaining life of items rather than allowing full replacement.
Does disputing hold up my whole deposit?
No. You can agree the undisputed portion, which is released to you while the remainder goes to adjudication. Many tenants accept deductions they disagree with because they assume the whole sum is frozen, which is not how the schemes work.
In summary: check it now, photograph it later
Run your details through all three scheme checkers today and file the prescribed information somewhere you will find it. An unprotected deposit is worth one to three times its value in compensation, and that is a claim worth knowing you have.
At the end, agree what you accept, dispute what you do not, and use the free adjudication service. It is decided on documents, so photograph everything on the day you hand back the keys and keep the check-in inventory. Those two habits decide most outcomes.
Have a plan to move?
Whether you’ve got a date set or you’re still figuring things out, get a free quote and know exactly what to expect.
Free, takes under 2 minutes
Transparent Pricing
1000+ Moves Completed