Deposit Protection Rules from 1 May 2026: Cap, Deadline, and Penalties
The 5-week deposit cap and 30-day protection deadline are strictly enforced under the RRA 2025. Get the rules right or risk penalties of up to 3x the deposit.
Maximum deposit
Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 (reinforced by the RRA 2025), the maximum deposit a landlord can take is 5 weeks' rent. This is calculated as:
Monthly rent × 12 ÷ 52 × 5
For example, if the monthly rent is £1,200:
- Weekly rent: £1,200 × 12 ÷ 52 = £276.92
- Maximum deposit: £276.92 × 5 = £1,384.62
Taking a deposit above this amount is a criminal offence under the Tenant Fees Act.
30-day protection deadline
You must protect the deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receiving it. The three approved schemes in England are:
- Deposit Protection Service (DPS) — custodial (free, they hold the money)
- MyDeposits — insurance-based (you hold the money, pay a fee)
- Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) — both custodial and insurance options
Penalties for non-protection
If you fail to protect the deposit within 30 days:
- The tenant can apply to the county court for a penalty of 1 to 3 times the deposit amount
- You cannot serve a valid Section 8 notice until the deposit is properly protected (except for Grounds 7A and 14 — antisocial behaviour)
- Repeat offenders face mandatory maximum penalty
Prescribed information
Within 30 days of receiving the deposit, you must also provide the tenant with prescribed information about:
- The deposit scheme used
- The address of the scheme
- How to apply for the deposit's return
- What to do if there's a dispute
When tenancy ends
At the end of a tenancy, the deposit must be returned within 10 days of both parties agreeing how much should be returned. If there's a dispute, the scheme's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service can help.
Impact on possession
This is critical: if the deposit is not protected, you cannot pursue possession under most Section 8 grounds. The court will reject your claim. Always protect the deposit within 30 days — it's not optional.
How Get Let Flow helps
Get Let Flow tracks deposit amounts against the 5-week cap, counts down the 30-day protection deadline, and sends escalating reminders at 7, 3, 2, and 1 day before the deadline. If you miss it, the dashboard flags it immediately so you can act before it blocks a possession order.
Get Let Flow handles this automatically
Every rule mentioned in this guide is enforced automatically in Get Let Flow. Certificate tracking, notice generation, eligibility checks, deposit validation, and tenant communications — all built in.
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