Tenancy Deposit Scheme Checker

A tenancy deposit protection scheme is a government-authorised scheme that holds (or insures) a tenant's deposit for the length of the tenancy, so the landlord can't simply keep it or spend it. England and Wales have three: Deposit Protection Service (DPS), mydeposits and Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). Scotland has SafeDeposits Scotland, Letting Protection Service Scotland and mydeposits Scotland. Northern Ireland has TDS Northern Ireland and mydeposits Northern Ireland.

30 calendar days from the date they receive it, under the Housing Act 2004 (England) or the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (Wales). The same 30-day window applies to giving the "prescribed information" (England) or "required information" (Wales) - missing either one exposes the landlord to the same compensation claim.

Scotland's Tenancy Deposit Schemes (Scotland) Regulations 2011 give landlords 30 working days (Monday to Friday, not counting weekends) from the start of the tenancy, not 30 calendar days. A deposit received on a Friday effectively has a longer real-world window than one received on a Monday, purely because of how the weekends fall inside the count.

Northern Ireland's Tenancy Deposit Schemes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012, as they apply to deposits paid on or after 1 April 2023, give landlords 28 calendar days to protect the deposit and a separate, longer 35 calendar days to give the required information - the only nation where the two deadlines aren't the same number.

Only in England and Northern Ireland is there a hard statutory cap. In England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 caps it at 5 weeks' rent where annual rent is under £50,000, or 6 weeks' rent at £50,000 or more (and the Act doesn't apply at all above £100,000 annual rent). Northern Ireland's Private Tenancies Act 2022 caps it at 1 month's rent. Scotland caps it at 2 months' rent under the 2011 Regulations. Wales has no statutory deposit cap at all.

The Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019 banned most other letting fees but never introduced a deposit cap, unlike England's Tenant Fees Act 2019 in the same year. In practice most Welsh landlords still ask for around 4-6 weeks' rent, but nothing in Welsh law stops them asking for more.

In England and Wales, a successful protection-duty claim can result in a court award of one to three times the deposit. In Scotland, the First-tier Tribunal can award up to three times the deposit. In Northern Ireland, report the breach to your local council Environmental Health team: the council can impose a fine or prosecute, but that fine is not compensation paid to you. Get advice about the requirements and time limits for your tenancy.

In England, Section 21 "no-fault" eviction notices and assured shorthold tenancies were abolished from 1 May 2026 under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. From that date, a court generally cannot grant possession under most Section 8 grounds either while the deposit remains unprotected or the required information hasn't been given, even if the landlord protects it late afterwards. In Wales, a landlord who hasn't protected the deposit and given the required information cannot serve a valid Section 173 possession notice at all.

It's the paperwork the landlord must give the tenant alongside protecting the deposit: which scheme holds it, the scheme's contact details, how much was paid, how to apply for its return, and what happens if there's a dispute. Missing this can breach a separate duty even where the deposit itself was protected on time. The remedy depends on the nation: tenant compensation proceedings in England, Wales or Scotland, and council enforcement in Northern Ireland.

Ask your landlord or letting agent in writing - they're required to tell you as part of the required-information duty. TDS Custodial also runs its own public deposit-search tool if you already know some of the tenancy details. This checker can tell you whether the dates and figures you enter look compliant, but it cannot look up a specific deposit's actual protection record - no scheme publishes a public database search by address alone.

Deposit protection applies to most private tenancies where a deposit is taken, across all four nations. It doesn't apply to lodgers living with a resident landlord, most company lets, or holiday lets. If you're unsure whether your tenancy is covered, Citizens Advice or Shelter can confirm based on your specific agreement.

Fee rules differ by nation. England and Wales restrict permitted tenant payments, and Scotland prohibits unlawful premiums. Do not infer a general fees ban from Northern Ireland's deposit cap: check a particular charge with Housing Rights. This tool checks the deposit amount and protection duties; it does not decide whether another fee is lawful.

Ask the landlord in writing which scheme protects the deposit and when. Keep the tenancy agreement, receipt and correspondence. Seek advice promptly about a county court claim in England/Wales or a First-tier Tribunal application in Scotland. In Northern Ireland, report a protection breach to your local council Environmental Health team; enforcement fines are not tenant compensation.

No. It applies the current protection deadlines to the dates you enter. Older deposits, renewed tenancies and transitional arrangements need individual advice; the tool does not determine which historical rules apply.

No. This tool gives an estimate based on the dates and figures you enter, using the current statutory deadlines, caps, compensation ranges and enforcement routes for each UK nation. It cannot confirm a specific deposit's actual protection record, and it isn't a substitute for advice from Citizens Advice, Shelter, or a solicitor about your own tenancy.