Tenancy Deposit Protection Claim Calculator UK 2026/27

How much can I claim if my deposit was not protected?

If you paid a deposit on an assured shorthold tenancy in England or Wales, your landlord or letting agent had a legal duty to put that money into a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme. Get this wrong – by missing the deadline, using no scheme at all, or failing to hand you the required paperwork – and you may be entitled to a court order worth between one and three times the deposit, on top of getting the deposit itself back. This calculator turns your deposit figure and the type of breach into a realistic estimate of that penalty, showing the 1x floor, a typical figure and the 3x ceiling. The award is always at the court's discretion, so treat the numbers as a guide to the scale of a potential claim rather than a guaranteed payout.

How tenancy deposit protection works in the UK

Tenancy deposit protection was introduced by the Housing Act 2004 and has applied to assured shorthold tenancies in England and Wales since 6 April 2007. The aim is simple: stop landlords from making unfair or unexplained deductions, and give both sides a free, independent service to resolve disputes over the deposit at the end of the tenancy. If your landlord takes a deposit, that money does not belong to them to spend – it must be safeguarded for the duration of the tenancy.

There are two ways a deposit can be held under the rules:

• Custodial schemes – the landlord or agent pays the cash to the scheme, which holds it for free until the tenancy ends. This is the most common arrangement and costs nothing.
• Insured schemes – the landlord or agent keeps the deposit but pays the scheme to insure it. If they later refuse to return money they should, the scheme steps in.

The three government-approved schemes

In England and Wales there are exactly three approved providers, and your deposit must sit with one of them:

• Deposit Protection Service (DPS) – offers both custodial and insured options.
• MyDeposits – offers custodial and insured options.
• Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) – offers custodial and insured options.

Each scheme runs a free dispute-resolution service if you and your landlord disagree about deductions at the end of the tenancy. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own separate approved schemes and slightly different deadlines, so the figures here apply to England and Wales. You can check whether your money is actually protected by contacting all three schemes directly with your tenancy details – each lets you search for your deposit free of charge.

The 30-day rule

The single most important deadline is the 30-day rule. After the Localism Act 2011 amended the Housing Act 2004, your landlord or agent must do two things within 30 calendar days of receiving your deposit:

1. Pay the deposit into one of the three approved schemes; and
2. Give you (and anyone who paid the deposit on your behalf) the prescribed information in writing.

Thirty days means thirty calendar days, not working days, counted from when the money was received – not from when the tenancy started. Missing either part of this deadline is a breach that can trigger the 1x–3x compensation claim, even if the landlord protects the deposit a little later. The deadline is strict, which is exactly why so many claims succeed.

Prescribed information explained

Protecting the money is only half the job. The law also requires the landlord to give you specific written details – the prescribed information – so you know where your deposit is and how to get it back. This typically includes:

• The name and contact details of the scheme protecting the deposit;
• The amount of the deposit and the address of the rented property;
• How the deposit is protected and how to apply to get it back;
• What to do if there is a dispute over deductions at the end of the tenancy;
• The landlord's (or agent's) name and contact details.

A common and costly mistake is for a landlord to lodge the cash in time but never serve this paperwork. Courts have consistently treated a failure to provide the prescribed information as a breach in its own right – so you can have a valid claim even though the money was safely in a scheme the whole time.

How compensation is awarded (1x to 3x the deposit)

The financial penalty comes from section 214 of the Housing Act 2004. If a landlord breaches the rules, you can apply to the county court, and if the court agrees it must order the landlord to pay you a sum that is not less than the deposit and not more than three times the deposit. That penalty is paid in addition to the court ordering your deposit (or any agreed deductions) to be returned or properly protected.

Originally the penalty was a fixed three times the deposit, but the Localism Act 2011 changed it to a sliding scale between 1x and 3x. The exact figure is at the judge's discretion, and case law has established that courts weigh how serious and how blameworthy the breach was. In practice:

• Toward 1x – a minor, technical or quickly corrected slip, or a landlord who tried in good faith to comply.
• Toward 2x – a clear breach such as no prescribed information, or protection arranged well outside the 30-day window.
• Toward 3x – a deposit that was never protected at all, a deliberate failure, or a repeat offender holding several unprotected deposits.

That is exactly how this calculator's estimates are scaled. It is worth noting that the penalty can be awarded per deposit, so if you renewed the same tenancy several times and the deposit was unprotected across more than one fixed term, separate awards may be possible.

Worked example

Imagine you paid a deposit of £1,200 when you moved in. The landlord put the money into a scheme on time but never gave you the prescribed information. Choosing the “no prescribed information” option, the calculator estimates a typical award of about 1.75x, or roughly £2,100, within a range of £1,200 (1x) to £3,000 (2.5x). On top of that, the court can order your £1,200 deposit returned – so your total recovery in a typical outcome is around £3,300. Had the deposit never been protected at all, the typical estimate would rise to about 2.5x (£3,000 penalty), with a possible £3,600 at the 3x ceiling. These figures show why this is one of the most powerful protections a tenant has.

How an unprotected deposit blocks a Section 21 eviction

The deposit rules carry a second, often-overlooked consequence. Under section 215 of the Housing Act 2004, a landlord cannot serve a valid Section 21 “no-fault” eviction notice while the deposit is unprotected or while the prescribed information has not been given. If they try, the notice can be ruled invalid and any possession claim built on it can fail. To get the right to use Section 21 back, the landlord generally has to return the deposit (or any agreed deductions) to the tenant first. So a deposit failure does not only mean compensation – it can also stall or defeat an eviction. If you are facing a notice, read our Section 21 eviction guide alongside this page.

How to claim – step by step

1. Gather your evidence. Find your tenancy agreement, proof you paid the deposit (bank statement or receipt), and any correspondence. Note the date you handed the money over.
2. Check whether the deposit is protected. Contact DPS, MyDeposits and TDS and ask each to search for your deposit. Keep their replies.
3. Write to the landlord or agent. Set out the breach and what you want. Many landlords settle once they realise a court could order up to 3x.
4. Get advice. The rules are technical. Citizens Advice, Shelter and housing solicitors can confirm whether you have a strong case before you commit to court.
5. Apply to the county court. A claim is usually started using the appropriate court form and fee. You can claim even after you have moved out, and even if the deposit has since been returned. The usual time limit for bringing the claim is six years from the breach.

Common landlord and agent defences

Knowing the likely counter-arguments helps you judge the strength of your claim:

• “We protected it late but before you complained.” Late protection does not erase the breach – the 30-day deadline still applies – though it may push a court toward the lower end of the range.
• “The agent was responsible, not us.” A landlord generally remains liable for compliance even where a managing agent handled the money; the duty cannot simply be passed off.
• “It was a holding deposit, not a tenancy deposit.” A true holding deposit to reserve a property is treated differently, but once it converts into a security deposit the protection rules bite.
• “You owed rent arrears or caused damage.” Any genuine deductions are dealt with separately; they do not cancel a penalty for failing to protect the deposit in the first place.

Deposit caps and the Tenant Fees Act 2019

Since 1 June 2019, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 has also capped how much deposit a landlord can take on most assured shorthold tenancies in England: five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks' rent where the annual rent is £50,000 or more. If you were charged more than the cap, that is a separate breach worth investigating. To check the maximum that should have been taken, use our tenancy deposit cap calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How much compensation can I claim if my deposit was not protected?

Under section 214 of the Housing Act 2004 a county court can order a landlord or agent to pay you between one and three times the value of the deposit, plus return (or protect) the deposit itself. The exact multiple is at the court's discretion, based largely on how serious and how blameworthy the breach was. A minor, quickly corrected error tends toward 1x, while a deposit never protected at all moves toward 3x.

What is the 30-day rule for tenancy deposits?

Since the Localism Act 2011 amended the Housing Act 2004, a landlord or letting agent must protect your deposit in a government-approved scheme (DPS, MyDeposits or the Tenancy Deposit Scheme) and give you the prescribed information within 30 calendar days of receiving the money. Missing either deadline can expose them to a 1x to 3x compensation claim.

Can I still claim if my tenancy has already ended?

Yes. You can apply to the county court even after you have moved out and even if your deposit has since been returned. The usual limitation period for bringing the claim is six years from the breach. Because the rules are technical, it is wise to get advice from Citizens Advice, Shelter or a housing solicitor before you file.

Does an unprotected deposit stop a Section 21 eviction?

Yes. Under section 215 of the Housing Act 2004 a landlord cannot serve a valid Section 21 (no-fault) notice while the deposit is unprotected or the prescribed information has not been given. To regain the ability to use Section 21 the landlord generally has to return the deposit (or any agreed deductions) to the tenant first.

Which deposit protection schemes are government-approved?

In England and Wales there are three approved schemes: the Deposit Protection Service (DPS), MyDeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). Each runs a free custodial option (the scheme holds the money) and an insured option (the landlord or agent holds it and insures it). Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own separate approved schemes and rules.

Is this calculator a guarantee of what a court will award?

No. The award is entirely at the court's discretion within the 1x to 3x range, and every case turns on its own facts. This tool gives an evidence-based estimate to help you understand the likely scale of a claim, not a promise of any outcome. Always seek professional legal advice before starting court action.

Sources: tenancy deposit protection rules and the three approved schemes from GOV.UK – Tenancy Deposit Protection; the compensation power and Section 21 restriction from the Housing Act 2004, sections 213–215; deposit caps from the Tenant Fees Act 2019 guidance. General information only – not legal advice.