The Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS)

If you are a landlord, you must register your tenants’ deposits with one of the following government approved scheme:

You must protect your tenant’s deposit within 30 days and provide them with particular information including the property address, amount of deposit protected, the scheme it is registered with and your contact details – Gov.uk details what you have to tell the tenants. Your tenant can take you to court and you could pay a fine if you do not do this.

End of tenancy

You should return the deposit within 10 days of the end of the tenancy and discuss any deductions – this is the case even if you are evicting a tenant. If you cannot reach an agreement, the deposit protection scheme can help with dispute resolution, or you can choose to go to court.

You will only be able to get a Possession Order if:

  • you return the deposit to the tenant in full (or with agreed deductions), or
  • a tenancy deposit claim has been made and the Court has either decided the outcome, the application was withdrawn or the matter has been settled.
Last updated on 28/05/2024