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It is a set of details the law requires you to give your tenant within 30 days of receiving a deposit: who holds it, how to get it back and a signed certificate. The list dates from 2007.
Section 213 of the Housing Act 2004 requires it, and the Housing (Tenancy Deposits) (Prescribed Information) Order 2007 sets out what it must contain. Since 1 May 2026 the rules apply to assured tenancies, the type most private lets in England now use. This page covers England; Wales has its own required-information rules and Scotland has separate schemes. It follows legislation.gov.uk and GOV.UK as checked on 17 October 2026. The steps for protecting the deposit itself are in our guide on how to protect a tenancy deposit.
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What the prescribed information includes
| About | What you must give |
|---|---|
| The scheme | Name, address, phone number, email and any fax number of the scheme administrator |
| The scheme's rules | Any information in the scheme's leaflet that explains how the deposit law works |
| End of tenancy | How the deposit is repaid, what happens if you or the tenant cannot be contacted, and what happens if you disagree about the amount |
| Disputes | The scheme's service for settling a dispute without going to court |
| The tenancy | The deposit amount and the property address |
| The people | Your name, address, phone and any email or fax; the same for the tenant, including how to contact them at the end of the tenancy; the same for anyone who paid the deposit for them |
| Deductions | When you can keep some or all of the deposit, by reference to the terms of the tenancy |
| Certificate | Signed by you, confirming the information is accurate to the best of your knowledge and belief, and that you gave the tenant the chance to sign it to confirm the same |
"Not contactable" includes someone whose whereabouts are known but who is not replying about the deposit.
Who gets it and in what form
You must give it to the tenant and to any relevant person, meaning anyone who paid the deposit on the tenant's behalf under an arrangement with them. It must be in the prescribed form, or a form substantially to the same effect. Your scheme supplies the leaflet whose contents you pass on, so start from the documents it gives you and check them against the list above.
If a letting agent met the scheme's initial requirements for you, the order lets either you or that agent be named in the landlord details and sign the certificate. The Act puts the duty to give the information on the landlord (section 213(5)).
When it is due
The deadline is 30 days beginning with the day you receive the deposit. That is the same deadline as protecting it in an approved scheme. The 30 days count the day the money arrives, so a deposit received on 9 January 2027 must be protected, and the information given, by 7 February 2027.
If you have taken a deposit or plan to take one, the amount must also appear in the written information you give a new tenant before the tenancy is agreed. GOV.UK says you do not have to give the deposit details at the same time, but you can.
What happens if you get it wrong
| Consequence | Detail |
|---|---|
| County court claim | The tenant, or anyone who paid for them, can apply during or after the tenancy |
| Award | If the court finds the 30-day rules were not met, it must order you to pay at least the deposit amount and up to three times it, within 14 days. GOV.UK's guide on not protecting a deposit says the court "may" order up to 3 times; section 214(4) says "must" |
| Deposit returned | During the tenancy, the court must also order the deposit repaid or paid into a custodial scheme; after it ends, it can order repayment |
| Possession | GOV.UK says that for most grounds a court will only order possession if you protected the deposit, met the scheme's requirements and gave the information, or returned the deposit, or the tenant's claim was decided, settled or withdrawn. Grounds 7A and 14, for antisocial behaviour, are exceptions |
What this means for you
Treat the prescribed information as part of taking the deposit, not a later task. Say a deposit of £1,384.61 arrives on 9 January 2027. If you protect it the same day but only send the information on 20 February 2027, you have missed the deadline. If the tenant applies and the court finds the deadline was missed, it must award at least £1,384.61 and up to £4,153.83, three times the deposit.
Steps to give the prescribed information
- Protect the deposit in a government-approved scheme as soon as it arrives.
- Get the leaflet the scheme supplies to landlords.
- Fill in every item, including how to contact the tenant at the end of the tenancy and when you may keep money.
- Sign the certificate and offer the tenant the chance to sign it too.
- Send it to the tenant and to anyone who paid the deposit for them, within 30 days of receiving the money.
- As good practice, keep a dated copy and proof of how you sent it.
Rent from your lets may also bring you into Making Tax Digital; the free MTD check shows when. The landlords section has more guides on deposits and tenancies.
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Questions people ask
Is the scheme's protection certificate enough?
Not on its own. The law lists the information you must give, including details of the scheme, the contents of its leaflet, details of the tenancy and a certificate signed by you. Check that what you send covers the whole list.
How long do I have to give it?
30 days, beginning with the day you receive the deposit. Protecting the deposit has the same 30-day deadline.
Does someone who paid the deposit for my tenant get a copy?
Yes. The law calls them a relevant person: anyone who paid the deposit on the tenant's behalf under an arrangement with the tenant, such as a parent. They must get the information too.
Can my letting agent sign the certificate?
Yes, if the agent met the scheme's initial requirements for you. The order then lets either you or the agent be named in the landlord details and sign the certificate. The Act puts the duty to give the information on the landlord (Housing Act 2004 section 213(5)).
What if I gave it late?
The 30 days have passed, so the tenant can apply to the county court. If the court is satisfied the information was not given in time, it must order you to pay one to three times the deposit. Giving it late still matters for possession: for most grounds a court can only order possession once the deposit is protected and the information given.
Can a former tenant still claim after moving out?
Yes. Section 214 lets a former tenant apply to the county court after the tenancy has ended. The court must still award between one and three times the deposit if the 30-day rules were broken.
Sources
- The Housing (Tenancy Deposits) (Prescribed Information) Order 2007, SI 2007/797, article 2 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Housing Act 2004, section 213: requirements relating to tenancy deposits (legislation.gov.uk)
- Housing Act 2004, section 214: proceedings relating to tenancy deposits (legislation.gov.uk)
- Deposit protection schemes and landlords (GOV.UK)
- Deposit protection schemes and landlords: information you must give to your tenants (GOV.UK)
- Deposit protection schemes and landlords: if you do not protect your tenants' deposit (GOV.UK)
- Repossessing your privately rented property after 1 May 2026 (GOV.UK)
- Written information that must be given to tenants: guidance for landlords and agents (GOV.UK, PDF, first published 20 March 2026)
This is general information to help you understand the rules. It isn't tailored to your circumstances, so check your own position before acting on it.
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