Was my deposit protected? How to check in 5 minutes
Around 1 in 4 tenancy deposits may not be properly protected. Here's how to check yours — for free — and what it means if it isn't there.
What the law says your landlord must do
If you paid a deposit on an assured shorthold tenancy in England, the Housing Act 2004 required your landlord (or their letting agent) to do two separate things within 30 days of receiving your money:
- Protect the deposit in one of the three government-authorised schemes; and
- Give you the "Prescribed Information" — a formal document telling you which scheme holds your deposit, how to get it back, and how disputes are resolved.
Failing either duty exposes the landlord to a court-ordered penalty of between one and three times the deposit — see how much you can claim.
Step 1 — search all three schemes
There are only three authorised schemes, and each has a free online search. Check all three — landlords use different ones, and agents sometimes switch:
- Deposit Protection Service (DPS) — depositprotection.com
- mydeposits — mydeposits.co.uk
- Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) — tenancydepositscheme.com
You'll typically need your postcode, surname, tenancy start date and deposit amount. If nothing comes up on any of the three, your deposit may never have been protected.
Step 2 — check the dates, not just the existence
Finding a protection certificate is not the end of the story. The deposit had to be protected within 30 days of payment. A deposit protected on day 45 is still a breach — late protection is not cured by protecting it eventually. Compare the certificate date with the date your money left your account.
Step 3 — did you actually receive the Prescribed Information?
Even where the deposit was protected on time, many landlords never serve the Prescribed Information, or serve it late. That is a separate breach carrying the same penalty. If you don't remember signing or receiving a document naming the scheme and explaining how to reclaim your deposit, read our guide on missing Prescribed Information.
What if my deposit wasn't protected?
Where a breach is established, a court must award you between 1× and 3× your deposit — and where a deposit was never protected across a renewed tenancy, separate awards for separate periods can be arguable. Claims can generally be brought while you're still living in the property or up to 6 years after the breach. Start with our free 60-second check below for an instant indication.
Think your deposit wasn't protected?
Check free in 60 seconds — then get a written assessment of your claim for £9.98.
This guide is general information about the law in England, not legal advice, and does not guarantee any outcome. My Deposit Claim is an unregulated legal-services provider offering assessments and document preparation — not a firm of solicitors and not an FCA-authorised claims management company. You send and file your own documents. For independent advice, contact Citizens Advice or Shelter.