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Guides › Housing › Rent and Deposits

Rent and Deposits

Since 1 May 2026 the Renters' Rights Act 2025 has abolished section 21 'no-fault' evictions in England and turned existing assured shorthold tenancies into rolling assured periodic tenancies. Your deposit must still be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules.

Last checked 12 October 2026 General information, not legal advice
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At A Glance

30 daysfor your landlord to protect your deposit and give you the scheme details
10 daysto return your deposit once the amount is agreed
5 weeksmaximum deposit (6 weeks if annual rent is 50,000 pounds or more)
Once a yearmaximum rent increase, with at least 2 months notice

Your Rights

What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.

Your Tenancy

  • No-fault Evictions Have Ended

    Section 21 no-fault eviction has been abolished in England from 1 May 2026 (Renters' Rights Act 2025); landlords must use section 8 with a valid ground, and most existing assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies. source

  • Rent Increases

    Rent increases are limited to once a year via a section 13 notice with at least 2 months' notice, and rental bidding is banned (in force from 1 May 2026). source

Your Deposit

  • Your Deposit Must Be Protected

    Your landlord or agent must put your deposit in an approved scheme (DPS, MyDeposits or Tenancy Deposit Scheme) within 30 days of receiving it; this applies to assured periodic tenancies that replaced ASTs on 1 May 2026. source

  • Scheme Information

    You must be given the scheme's information in writing within the same 30 days (prescribed information). source

  • If It Was Not Protected

    If the deposit is not protected, you can claim in the county court: the court can order the deposit to be returned or protected within 14 days and can also order up to 3 times the deposit as compensation (Housing Act 2004 regime as described by GOV.UK and Shelter). source

  • Getting It Back

    The deposit must be returned within 10 days of you and the landlord agreeing the amount; if you disagree, the deposit stays protected in the scheme until sorted out, and the scheme offers free dispute resolution that is binding on both sides. source

Fees

  • Banned Fees and Deposit Caps

    Tenant Fees Act 2019 (as amended by the Renters' Rights Act): deposits capped at 5 weeks' rent (6 weeks if annual rent is 50,000 pounds or more); holding deposit capped at 1 week's rent; most other fees are banned; landlords cannot require rent before the tenancy agreement is signed and cannot ask for more than 1 month's rent in advance. source

  • Claiming Back A Banned Fee

    If you have paid a banned fee you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for losses, or the council (trading standards / weights and measures authority) can require repayment; first-offence penalties go up to 5,000 pounds and repeat breaches up to 30,000 pounds or prosecution. source

Time Limits to Know

Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.

  • 30 days
    Landlord must protect the deposit and give scheme informationWithin 30 days of receiving the deposit
  • 10 days
    Landlord must return the deposit once amount is agreedWithin 10 days of agreement
  • 14 days
    Court order for unprotected depositCourt may order repayment or protection within 14 days; compensation of up to 3 times the deposit
  • 3 months
    Raising a dispute with an insurance-backed scheme (reported by mydeposits)Within 3 calendar months minus 1 day after you leave; check your scheme's current rules
  • 2 months
    Rent increase notice (section 13)At least 2 months' notice, once a year
  • 28 days
    Pet request decision by landlordLandlord has a 28-day decision window (per roadmap summary)

Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right

Free routes to escalate, and when each one applies.

Deposit Scheme Dispute Resolution (DPS, MyDeposits or TDS)

Landlord and tenant cannot agree how much of the protected deposit is returned.

County Court Claim (Unprotected Deposit)

Deposit not protected within 30 days or prescribed information not given.

First-Tier Tribunal / Local Council Trading Standards (Tenant Fees)

You were charged a prohibited fee or an excessive deposit.

Shelter England

Free advice on deposit claims and eviction notices.

Citizens Advice

Free advice on any renting problem.

Steps to Take

Step 1 of 7

Check your deposit is protected: contact DPS, MyDeposits or Tenancy Deposit Scheme with your details to confirm it is registered, and check you were given the scheme information within 30 days.

Step 2 of 7

Keep evidence from the start: tenancy agreement, check-in inventory, dated photos, rent receipts and messages with the landlord or agent.

Step 3 of 7

At the end of the tenancy, take dated photos, return keys, and agree the check-out position in writing where possible.

Step 4 of 7

If the landlord wants deductions, ask for itemised costs and evidence, and challenge unfair charges such as normal wear and tear.

Step 5 of 7

If you cannot agree, raise a dispute through the deposit scheme (free adjudication based on written evidence; for insurance-backed schemes tenants should raise it within the scheme's time limit, reported as around 3 months after you leave).

Step 6 of 7

If the deposit was never protected, write a letter before action and then consider a county court claim for the deposit and up to 3 times compensation.

Step 7 of 7

For banned fees or unlawful eviction tactics, report to your local council and get free advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice.

(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)

Evidence and Your Letter

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Evidence Checklist

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How This Works

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  2. 2

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  3. 3

    Copy or download the letter, check every detail, and send it yourself.

A template, not legal advice.

Watch Out For

Common traps and scams to avoid.

Holding deposits capped at 1 week's rent: be wary of anyone asking for more, or for payment before the tenancy agreement is signed.

Fake listings and landlords who ask for money before you have viewed the property: view it, check ownership, and pay only to verified accounts.

Being told your deposit is 'with a scheme' without proof: ask for the scheme certificate and check directly with the scheme.

Old-style threats of a section 21 notice: section 21 can no longer be used in England, so do not move out only because of one without checking your rights.

Recent or changing rules: tap to read

In force from 1 May 2026 (England): abolition of section 21 and ASTs, conversion of all tenancies to assured periodic tenancies, new section 8 grounds (3 months' arrears threshold for mandatory ground 8), rent increases only by section 13 notice, rental bidding ban, limit of 1 month's rent in advance, pet request rights, and discrimination protections (Shelter summary and GOV.UK roadmap). Local-authority investigatory powers began 27 December 2025. NOT yet in force / later: the Private Rented Sector Database (roadmap lists it as phase 2, late 2026 onwards; a landlord-industry site says regional roll-out from December 2026 with full registration by mid-November 2027), the PRS Landlord Ombudsman (roadmap summary indicates mandatory membership expected around 2028; exact start date not verified), Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law extension (timings TBC). GOV.UK withdrew its old Tenant Fees Act guidance on 8 May 2026 and replaced it with versions reflecting the Renters' Rights Act. Scotland (Tenancy Deposit Schemes under Scottish rules), Northern Ireland and Wales operate different tenancy and deposit regimes; GOV.UK says Scotland and NI have separate deposit schemes. Wales has its own tenancy law (not verified in detail here). Deposit-scheme time limits for tenants vary by scheme: check the scheme.

Common Problems

Step-by-step help for a specific problem covered by this guide.

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Sources and official links
Luke Marley

Lead reviewer

Luke Marley

Founder and Lead Reviewer

Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.

Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.

Last checked: 12 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.

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