Protecting your deposit
If you have an assured short hold tenancy that started after 6 April 2007, your landlord must protect your deposit in a tenancy deposit scheme. A tenancy deposit scheme means:
- you can get all or part of your deposit back when you are entitled to it
- disputes between you and your landlord are easier to resolve
- you can get a clear agreement at the start of your tenancy about the condition of the property
How does it work?
There are 2 types of tenancy deposit scheme:
- custodial schemes: your deposit is paid into the scheme and kept until your tenancy ends
- insurance schemes: your landlord or agent keeps your deposit but pays an insurance premium to protect it
All schemes provide a free dispute resolution service.
You can find out more about tenancy deposit schemes on GOV.UK (Tenancy Deposit Protection) (link opens in new window).