Housing Act 2004 ss.213–215 · strict liability
Was your deposit protected within 30 days?
Check all three government-approved schemes, work out whether your landlord missed the statutory deadline, and see the compensation the court must order: 1x to 3x your deposit, plus the deposit back.
30-day breach calculator
Enter your payment date and protection date — see whether s.213(3) was breached and the 1x–3x range on your deposit.
Tool 02Free Letter Before Action
Generate the formal 14-day pre-action demand (Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims format) as a printable PDF.
GuideThe 30-day rule, precisely
Two separate duties — protection and prescribed information — both inside 30 days of the deposit being received.
The three government-approved schemes
Your landlord must have protected your deposit with one of these (Housing Act 2004 s.213(1)). Check all three if you don't know which holds it.
Deposit Protection Service (DPS)
Custodial and Insured. Official checker, what to search with, and what to do if no record is found.
SchemeTenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS)
Custodial and Insured. Official checker, what to search with, and what to do if no record is found.
Schememydeposits
Custodial and Insured. Official checker, what to search with, and what to do if no record is found.
Protected late? The penalty is mandatory
If the certificate shows protection after day 30 — even by one day — the landlord has breached s.213(3) as a matter of law. Under s.214(4) the judge has no discretion to let them off: the court must order a payment between 1x and 3x your deposit, within 14 days of the order.
| Where courts often land | Factors judges weigh (guidance, not a tariff) |
|---|---|
| 1x deposit | Short delay (days, not months), amateur landlord with a single property, prompt cure once challenged, apology and full compliance before trial. |
| 2x deposit | Several months late, prescribed information never served, tenant inquiries ignored, experienced landlord or agent, multiple properties. |
| 3x deposit | Complete failure to protect, bad faith (fabricated inventory, deductions invented), professional letting agent, retaliatory eviction threats after the tenant asserted rights. |
The 1x-3x range is fixed by statute (s.214(4)); where within the range is factored by the judge on the conduct and history. No published tariff exists — the tiers below are how courts have commonly reasoned, offered as guidance only.
Check by location
Local rent benchmarks (ONS), your county court for a Money Claim Online filing, and the council housing enforcement desk.
Councils A–Z (318 local authorities) County courts A–Z (293 venues)
Casewright claim pack
Landlord in your landlord failed the 30-day rule? The Casewright Tenancy Deposit Pack generates your formal 14-day Letter Before Claim and Money Claim Online particulars citing s.213 and s.214 Housing Act 2004. Flat £69 — no percentage of your award, unlike no-win-no-fee deposit lawyers who take 35–42%.
Shelter's free emergency housing advice line: 0808 800 4444 (England, weekdays) · Citizens Advice: 0808 223 1133. If you are being illegally locked out right now, call 999.
Questions people ask
How do I check if my tenancy deposit is protected?
Use the free checker on each approved scheme's website: the Deposit Protection Service (DPS), Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) and mydeposits. Search with your surname, the property postcode and the tenancy start date. Our scheme pages link directly to each official checker and explain what happens if no record is found.
What is the 30-day rule for tenancy deposits?
Under section 213(3) of the Housing Act 2004, your landlord must comply with the initial requirements of an authorised scheme within 30 days of receiving your deposit — and serve the prescribed information on you within the same 30 days under s.213(6). They are two separate duties and both must be met.
What compensation can I claim if my deposit was protected late?
Under s.214(4) Housing Act 2004 the court must order the landlord to pay you between one and three times the deposit amount, on top of returning the deposit, where the s.213 requirements were not met in time. The claim survives the end of the tenancy and a returned deposit does not erase the breach.
Can my landlord evict me with a Section 21 notice if my deposit was not protected?
For tenancies that began before 1 May 2026: no — s.215 Housing Act 2004 bars a Section 21 notice while the breach continues. For tenancies beginning on or after 1 May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished Section 21 entirely; landlords must use Section 8 grounds.