Deposit Protection Confirmation Letter

Who it's for

• Private landlords and letting agents in England who have just taken a tenancy deposit
• Landlords who want a signed record that the tenant received the protection details
• Not for Scotland or Wales, which have their own deposit rules

What's included

• About this template — the two separate 30-day duties (protect the deposit and serve prescribed information) and the three approved schemes: DPS, mydeposits and TDS
• Deposit limits table (England 2026) — 5 or 6 weeks' rent, holding deposits and the one-month cap on advance rent, with the calculation method
• What the prescribed information must include — a 7-point list
• Penalties table — late protection, missing prescribed information, the effect on possession and taking too much
• The confirmation letter — deposit details table (amount, dates, scheme, custodial or insured, reference, ADR service), return of deposit, disputes and how to check protection
• Tenant acknowledgement — signature slip confirming receipt of the letter and the prescribed information

Key points covered

• Protect the deposit and serve the prescribed information within 30 days of receiving it — two separate obligations
• Deposit cap of 5 weeks' rent where annual rent is under £50,000, 6 weeks' at £50,000 or more
• A court can order the landlord to pay the tenant 1 to 3 times the deposit for either failure
• An unprotected deposit also restricts the landlord's ability to get most possession orders until it is put right
• Deductions must be itemised with evidence; the scheme's free ADR service handles disputes
• The letter does not replace the scheme's own prescribed information and certificate — send both

Read the guide

Related documents

Questions