Deposit Protection: The 30-Day Rule That Can Sink a Landlord's Eviction

The short answer

If you take a tenancy deposit in England, you must protect it in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receiving it, and serve the tenant the Prescribed Information within that same 30 days. Get either wrong and you can face a financial penalty of one to three times the deposit, and — often more painful — you can be blocked from regaining possession until it's put right.

The two things landlords get wrong

1. Protecting late. The 30 days runs from when you receive the money, not when the tenancy starts. Miss it and the clock can't be un-missed.
2. Skipping the Prescribed Information. Protecting the deposit isn't enough on its own — you must also give the tenant the specific prescribed details (the scheme, how the deposit is held, how disputes work, and more). Landlords protect the money, forget the paperwork, and it bites them later.

Why it matters more than the fine

Under the possession rules, a deposit that wasn't protected properly — or where the prescribed information wasn't served — can invalidate a possession claim. Since Section 21 was abolished (1 May 2026) and possession now runs through specific grounds, your compliance paperwork is part of whether you can get your property back at all. A deposit slip from three years ago can resurface and cost you months.

Your deposit checklist (every new tenancy)

• Deposit is within the legal cap (5 weeks' rent, or 6 if annual rent is £50,000+).
• Deposit protected within 30 days in an approved scheme.
• Scheme name and reference recorded.
• Prescribed Information served on every tenant (and anyone who paid the deposit) within 30 days.
• Copy of the scheme's terms/leaflet given to the tenant.
• The 30-day deadline diarised the day you receive the money.

What to do if you think you've slipped

If you're still inside the 30 days, protect it and serve the information now. If you're past it, the position is more complicated and the safest move is to take proper advice before serving any notice — getting the sequence wrong can make things worse.

Free: Deposit protection is one of a dozen deadlines that catch self-managing landlords out. We keep them all on one dated page — the 2026/27 UK Landlord Compliance Calendar.

Information, not legal advice. Verified 6 July 2026 against GOV.UK (tenancy deposit protection). England only.