Tenancy Deposit Protection — landlord obligations in England
If you take a tenancy deposit from a tenant, you must protect it in a government-approved deposit protection scheme and provide required deposit information document (explaining which scheme protects the deposit, how the scheme works, and the tenant's rights) within 30 days of receiving it. This applies to all deposits for private residential tenancies in England.
The law that creates this obligation
Your obligations as a landlord
- Who this applies to: All landlords receiving a tenancy deposit in connection with an assured tenancy (post-RRA 2025, all new private residential tenancies are assured periodic).
- When it applies: Within 30 days of receiving the deposit.
- What you must do: Register the deposit with a scheme and give the tenant required deposit information document within 30 days.
What good evidence looks like
Your compliance file should contain
- Written record or document confirming this obligation has been met
- Date of compliance — email timestamp, signed receipt, or platform log
- Trigger: When deposit received. Remind 20 days after deposit received.
Upload the scheme confirmation and custodial payment confirmation showing deposit protected.
Record this obligation in your LettingsLedger workspace
Upload evidence, set reminders, and build a timestamped compliance record — all in one place.
Consequences of non-compliance
The court may order return of the deposit plus a penalty of 1 to 3 times the deposit amount. For tenancies started before 1 May 2026 still within the transitional period, failure to protect the deposit may also prevent serving a Section 21 notice. Section 21 does not apply to new tenancies from 1 May 2026.
Further reading for landlords
LettingsLedger is a compliance evidence governance platform. It is not a legal services provider and does not provide legal advice. Content is derived from UK primary legislation at legislation.gov.uk and official GOV.UK sources. Reflects the position as at June 2026. A GovProtocol product by Pertheo Limited.