Prescribed Information for Tenancy Deposits: What You Must Give Tenants

What Is Prescribed Information?

When you take a tenancy deposit, you must do two things within 30 days:

1. Protect the deposit in one of three government-approved schemes: DPS, TDS, or mydeposits

2. Provide Prescribed Information to the tenant about where the deposit is held

Prescribed Information is a specific document, defined by the Housing (Tenancy Deposits) (Prescribed Information) Order 2007. It is not just a receipt or a note — it is a formal document with mandatory content.

What Must Prescribed Information Include?

The Prescribed Information document must include:

The name and contact details of the tenancy deposit scheme protecting the deposit

The amount of the deposit protected

The address of the rented property

The landlord's name and contact details (or the agent's, if applicable)

The tenant's name and contact details

The date the deposit was received

How the deposit can be repaid at the end of the tenancy

What to do if there is a dispute about the deposit

The contact details of the scheme's dispute resolution service

Details of any relevant persons (e.g., guarantors) who paid the deposit

Practical tip: All three approved schemes provide a Prescribed Information template. Use their official template rather than writing your own.

What Happens If You Don't Provide Prescribed Information?

The consequences are severe:

1. Court can order payment of 1–3× the deposit

The court has discretion to order you to pay the tenant between 1 and 3 times the deposit amount as a penalty. On a typical £1,200 deposit, that is £1,200–£3,600.

2. Section 21 is blocked

You cannot serve a valid Section 21 notice until the deposit is either returned in full or a court penalty has been paid.

3. No time limit on claims

Tenants can make a claim at any point during the tenancy — not just at the end. Even if the deposit was taken years ago, a late PI claim is still actionable.

The 30-Day Clock: What Triggers It?

The 30-day window starts from the day you receive the deposit — not the tenancy start date, not when the tenant moves in.

If you receive a holding deposit that later converts to a full deposit, the 30-day window starts from when the holding deposit was received (subject to scheme rules).

What if you miss the deadline?

Protect the deposit immediately and serve Prescribed Information as soon as possible. The tenant can still claim, but courts may award a lower penalty (1×) if you acted quickly and in good faith.

How to Serve Prescribed Information Correctly

Who must receive it: All tenants named on the tenancy agreement, plus any relevant persons (e.g., parent guarantors who paid the deposit)

How to serve: Post or email. Keep proof of service (read receipt, certificate of posting)

Format: Use the scheme's official Prescribed Information document, signed by the tenant (or use the scheme's online system which generates a signed confirmation)

Collect the tenant's signature on the Prescribed Information document. Without a signature, you may struggle to prove service if there is ever a dispute.

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