In 2007, the tenancy deposit law was introduced to protect you, the tenant, from unfair withholding of your deposit by landlords and letting agents.
Here are the essential rules you should be aware of regarding tenancy deposit protection:
- deposits should be protected in a government backed deposit protection scheme within 30 days of receipt
- If there's a dispute with your landlord over your deposit's return, contact your protection scheme for resolution
- if your landlord failed to protect your deposit within 30 days of receipt, they cannot evict you using the section 21 procedure
- If your deposit isn’t protected, seek advice from an advice centre
For more information, visit GOV.UK - Tenancy Deposit Protection or Shelter England - Tenancy Deposits.
