Prescribed Information
Quick answer
A document landlords must give tenants within 30 days of receiving a deposit, alongside deposit protection. It tells the tenant which scheme holds the deposit, how to reclaim it and how to raise a dispute. Failure to serve it can result in a penalty of 1-3 times the deposit.
At a glance
- Window
- 30 days of receipt
- Serve with
- Deposit protection
- Penalty for failure
- 1–3× the deposit
Full guide
Read the complete landlord guide on Prescribed Information
Deadlines, fines and step-by-step compliance in our in-depth resource.
Open full guideWhy Prescribed Information matters for landlords
Prescribed Information is the deposit-dispute trip-wire. Many landlords protect the deposit on time, serve the tenancy agreement on time, and then forget the separate PI document — which is a standalone breach attracting 1–3× the deposit as a tenant-led penalty. Keep a single "deposit pack" PDF that bundles the certificate, scheme leaflet and signed PI and issue it in one email to make the serve-date easy to prove.
Worked example
A landlord in Cardiff (regulations apply to England) protects a £1,000 deposit on day 12, well within the 30-day window. They serve the AST and a covering letter, but the Prescribed Information form is sent on day 38 — 8 days late. The tenancy ends amicably 14 months later but the tenant is advised by Citizens Advice to bring a deposit-penalty claim. The court awards the maximum 3× the deposit (£3,000) plus return of the deposit. The lesson is not the protection — it was on time — but the separate PI service obligation, which most templates do not auto-trigger.
Illustrative scenario based on real UK landlord casework patterns. Names and addresses are fictitious.
Common Prescribed Information mistakes UK landlords make
- Conflating deposit protection with PI service — they are two separate duties, both attracting the 1–3× penalty.
- Serving the PI verbally or by attached link to the scheme website without a signed copy in the tenant’s hands.
- Not signing the PI form — the regulations require landlord (or agent) signature.
- Keeping the PI document but not the proof of service — without proof of service, the court will assume non-service.
What to do this week
- Build a single PDF "deposit pack" containing the certificate, scheme leaflet and signed Prescribed Information form.
- Email the deposit pack to every new tenant within 30 days of receipt and store the sent email.
- Audit your last 12 months of tenancy starts and re-serve any PI you cannot prove was issued.
- Set a 28-day diary alarm at every new deposit receipt to force the PI service before the cap.
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Official sources
LetCompliance editorial reviews this entry every quarter against the sources above. Always confirm specific duties with a qualified solicitor or your local council.
Related terms
DPS (Deposit Protection Service)
The largest of the three government-authorised deposit protection schemes in England. Offers both custodial (free) and insured deposit protection. Landlords upload deposits within 30 days and issue Prescribed Information to the tenant.
Form 3A (Notice of Seeking Possession, Section 8)
The prescribed form a private landlord uses to start a Section 8 possession claim under the Housing Act 1988. GOV.UK publishes two versions: Form 3A for the private rented sector and Form 3 for social housing, so a private landlord who serves Form 3 has used the wrong form. It identifies the tenancy, the grounds being relied on (from Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988) and the date by which the tenant must give up possession. Notice periods vary by ground: no minimum notice for grounds 7A and 14 (anti-social behaviour), 4 weeks for ground 8 (rent arrears), 4 months for ground 1A (landlord sale) post-RRA 2025. A defective notice — wrong form, wrong ground, wrong notice period, missing prescribed wording — is the most common reason possession claims fail at first hearing.
Form 6A (Section 21 Notice)
The prescribed form landlords used to serve a Section 21 “no-fault” possession notice in England, until Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026 by the Renters Rights Act 2025. Two months’ minimum notice; it was void if any of the prerequisites (deposit protected within 30 days, valid Gas Safety record, current EPC, How to Rent guide given) was missing. Since 1 May 2026 Form 6A is no longer issuable for new notices and possession is pursued under Section 8 / Form 3A only.
Move-in Pack (Statutory)
The bundle of documents an English landlord must serve on a new tenant before — or at the very start of — a tenancy. Standard contents: latest Gas Safety Certificate (CP12), latest EICR, current EPC (band E or above), the deposit Prescribed Information, and a written statement of terms within 28 days of the tenancy starting. Only a deposit failure bars a Section 8 possession order (every ground except 7A and 14, and returning the deposit cures it). Missing gas, EICR or EPC carry their own penalties and weigh against the landlord on the discretionary grounds, but they do not bar possession. The GOV.UK How to Rent guide was withdrawn on 1 May 2026 and is no longer served on new tenants.
Rent Increase Notice (Section 13)
A notice under Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 used to increase rent on an assured periodic tenancy. Under the Renters Rights Act 2025 (in force 1 May 2026) the landlord must give at least 2 months’ notice on the prescribed Form 4A (Form 4 was the pre-reform version), can use it only once in any 12-month period, and cannot raise rent in the first 12 months of a tenancy. Tenants can challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal, which can no longer set a higher rent than the landlord proposed.
Section 21 Prerequisites
The bundle of pre-conditions a private landlord in England had to satisfy before a Section 21 notice (Form 6A) was valid: deposit protected within 30 days plus Prescribed Information served, current Gas Safety Certificate served, current EICR served, and current GOV.UK How to Rent guide served on the tenant. Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026, and these prerequisites went with it. They do not carry over to Section 8. Of the five, only the deposit rules bar a Section 8 possession order (every ground except 7A and 14, and returning the deposit cures the bar). Gas, EICR and How to Rent never gated Section 8, and the How to Rent guide has itself been withdrawn.