A tenancy deposit is a sum of money paid by a tenant to a landlord at the beginning of a tenancy. It serves as security against any potential damages or unpaid rent.

Your landlord is typically required to return your deposit within 10 days of the end of the tenancy, provided there are no disputes regarding damages or unpaid rent.

If your landlord refuses to return your deposit without a valid reason, you can make a tenancy deposit claim through the appropriate legal channels or seek advice from a housing disrepair solicitor.

In the UK, landlords must protect tenants' deposits in a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme within 30 days of receiving it. This ensures that your deposit is safeguarded and returned fairly.

If you began (or renewed) your tenancy within the last 6 years and your deposit was not protected in one of the three approved schemes, you can make a claim and you are also able to make additional claims for each subsequent breach.

The Government-Approved Tenancy Deposit Protection Schemes are:

MyDeposits

Deposit Protection Service

Tenancy Deposit Scheme

You can claim if…

You began or renewed your tenancy within the last 6 years

You have paid a depositYou know or believe your deposit was not protected

You were not issued details of the deposit protection scheme or

Your landlord failed to protect your deposit within 30 days of receiving it

You have since terminated your contract, but your deposit was not returned by your landlord

You have a copy of your tenancy agreement

You should receive information from your landlord about which tenancy deposit protection scheme your deposit is safeguarded in. If you haven’t received this, ask your landlord directly.

You can claim for the full amount of your deposit, and in some cases, you may also be entitled to additional compensation if your landlord has failed to protect your deposit according to legal requirements.

Gather any relevant documentation, including your tenancy agreement, correspondence with your landlord, and any evidence of the property’s condition at the end of your tenancy (like photos or inspection reports).

All of our services are offered to you on a no-win no-fee basis. This means that if your claim is not successful, it will not cost you a penny. Where your claim is successful, the costs of our services is deducted from any compensation you receive which will be capped at no more than 33%.

Yes, we will need to prove that you paid a deposit to your landlord (or agent). This can be in the form of a written receipt or bank statement or similar. We can go through this with you.

You can still make a tenancy deposit claim. You can start a claim up to 6 years from when your tenancy began and when your deposit was paid.

If your landlord failed to use one of the three approved deposit protection schemes then any eviction or attempted eviction would be unlawful.

If you are in arrears (have unpaid rent), then we will need to discuss this with you further. Your ability to claim will depend on the amount owing and the deposit you paid.