Deposit protection and redress schemes

Deposit Protection

All private landlords and letting agents taking deposits for Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) in England and Wales are required to safeguard them with a government-authorised tenancy deposit protection scheme.

The most commonly used scheme is the Deposit Protection service, however many letting agents have similar schemes in place. You must ensure that you receive confirmation that your deposit has been placed in one of these schemes.

If a tenant is concerned that their deposit has not been correctly protected please contact Trading Standards.

Redress schemes

All letting and property management agents are required to be registered with a Government approved redress scheme.

Any tenant who is unsatisfied with the service they are receiving can request that issues are investigated by the redress scheme. There are 3 approved schemes that an agent can choose to be a member of, each one has a search function for a tenant to identify which scheme they need to contact:

• The Property Ombudsman (TPO)
• Ombudsman Services Property
• The Property Redress Scheme

Agents that are not a member of one of these schemes may face a fine.

Last updated 11 April 2023