Renters' Rights Act 2025, Phase 1 commencement
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England, Wales, Housing Act 2004, TDP Schemes

Tenancy Deposit Protection Guide UK, 30-Day Rule

Complete guide to tenancy deposit protection in England and Wales: the 30-day deadline, the three approved TDP schemes, prescribed information requirements, permitted deductions, and penalties for non-compliance.

10 min readUpdated 13 May 2026Last reviewed: 10 September 2026 by Richard Wood, Founderdeposittdpprescribed-informationcompliance
Written and reviewed by· Founder, LetSafe UKLast reviewed: 10 September 2026

The 30-day rule

Landlords must protect the deposit AND serve the prescribed information within 30 days of receiving the deposit. Both steps must be completed within the window, protection on day 29 and prescribed information on day 31 is a breach of the prescribed information requirement.

The three approved TDP schemes

  • Deposit Protection Service (DPS), custodial option is free; scheme holds the money
  • MyDeposits, insurance-backed; landlord holds the deposit, pays an annual premium
  • Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), both custodial (TDS Custodial, free) and insurance-backed (TDS Insured) options

Prescribed information requirements

Prescribed information is a statutory document that must be served on the tenant (and any guarantor) within 30 days. It must include: the scheme name and contact details, the scheme's terms and conditions, how disputes are raised, the deposit amount and property address, and the circumstances in which deductions can be made. Use the scheme's own prescribed information form.

Permitted deposit deductions

  • Unpaid rent at the end of the tenancy
  • Damage beyond fair wear and tear (documented in the check-in inventory)
  • Professional cleaning where the property is returned in worse condition than at check-in
  • Replacement of lost or broken items (with depreciation applied for age)
  • Unrectified breach of tenancy obligations
Fair wear and tear cannot be charged

Normal deterioration from day-to-day use is fair wear and tear and cannot be deducted from the deposit. A detailed check-in inventory with timestamped photos is the landlord's best protection in a deposit dispute.

Penalties for non-compliance

  • Deposit penalty order: court must order 1 to 3 times the deposit amount as a penalty
  • 6-year limitation period for tenants to bring a claim after tenancy ends
  • Affects validity of possession proceedings, compliance required
  • Re-protection required if a new fixed-term tenancy is granted (not if tenancy becomes periodic)
Primary sources

This page is drafted against the legislation below. Always check the current text of the law before acting.

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Templates recommended in this guide

Put this guide into practice, get the Periodic Assured Tenancy Agreement from the LetSafe shop, the regulation-current pack that matches this guide.

TenancyLS-E-001

Periodic Assured Tenancy Agreement

The default English tenancy since 1 May 2026. Periodic from day one, with the prescribed written statement of terms built in. Ships with the Form 4A rent-increase notice template and an Information Sheet delivery acknowledgement form so a buying landlord has every Phase-1 compliance document in one pack.

£29
See what’s inside
TenancyLS-E-002

HMO Per-Room Tenancy Agreement

The England per-room tenancy agreement for Houses in Multiple Occupation, compliant with the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and Housing Act 2004 Part 2. Covers the shared-areas schedule, HMO licensing references, deposit-scheme clause, and the Information Sheet serving obligation, so a buying landlord has every Phase-1 compliance document for each room in one pack.

£29
See what’s inside
DepositLS-E-030

Deposit Protection Registration Guide

Step-by-step registration in DPS, MyDeposits or TDS with the Prescribed Information template.

£14.99
See what’s inside

Found a gap or disagree with something?

Reply to any LetSafe email or write to richard@letsafeuk.co.uk. We rewrite guides when we get something wrong, the sooner we hear, the sooner we fix it.

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