Deposit protection & prescribed information rules for landlords 2026

What you must do

If you take a tenancy deposit you must protect it in a government-approved scheme (DPS, MyDeposits or TDS) and serve the tenant with the prescribed information within 30 days of receiving it. Failure means a court can order you to repay the deposit plus 1 to 3 times its value, and you may be unable to serve a valid possession notice until the deposit is returned. This deadline is 30 days from the day you received the deposit money.

This is a legal obligation for private landlords in England. Keeping dated records is the simplest way to prove you have met it if a tenant, council or lender ever asks.

How often / when

At the start of each new tenancy.

CertSafe works out the exact next-due date for your property automatically once you enter when it was last done, and reminds you at 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 days before — plus if anything slips overdue.

The penalty for getting it wrong

1–3× the deposit awarded to the tenant; possession notices invalidated.

Penalties are set by legislation and enforced by local authorities or the courts. They can also complicate possession, mortgage and insurance matters, which is why lenders increasingly ask to see a compliance record.

Your quick checklist

1. Find the date this was last done (or arrange it now if it hasn't been).

2. Keep the certificate or record somewhere safe and give any required copy to your tenant.

3. Diarise the next deadline — or let CertSafe track it and remind you.

Frequently asked questions