How long does a landlord have to protect a deposit?

Under the Housing Act 2004, as amended, a landlord who takes a deposit for an assured tenancy in England (which, since 1 May 2026, includes every former assured shorthold tenancy) must protect it in one of the three government-approved Tenancy Deposit Protection schemes — the Deposit Protection Service (DPS), MyDeposits, or the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) — within 30 days of receiving the deposit. The landlord must also provide the tenant with "prescribed information" within the same 30-day window. This includes written confirmation of which scheme is being used, the scheme's contact details, the purpose of the deposit, and the procedures for raising a dispute. If the landlord fails to protect the deposit within 30 days or fails to provide the prescribed information, you can apply to the County Court. The court must order the landlord to pay you compensation of between one and three times the deposit amount, in addition to returning the deposit itself. Before Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026, an unprotected deposit also prevented a landlord from serving a valid Section 21 notice, and tenants facing a Section 21 possession claim can still raise it as a defence. If you are unsure whether your deposit has been protected, you can check with each of the three approved schemes directly using your name and postcode.