Deposit prescribed information: what must be in it and the 30-day deadline
The short answer
What prescribed information must I give a tenant about their deposit?
Within 30 days of receiving a tenancy deposit in England the landlord must protect it in TDS, DPS or mydeposits and give the tenant (and anyone who paid on their behalf) the prescribed information set out in the Housing (Tenancy Deposits) (Prescribed Information) Order 2007. That means the scheme's details and leaflet, the amount and the property, the landlord's and the tenant's full contact details — including how to reach the tenant after the tenancy ends — any relevant person's details, the circumstances in which the deposit may be retained, and a certificate signed by the landlord confirming the information is accurate and that the tenant has been given the chance to sign it. Missing any of it exposes the landlord to an order to pay one to three times the deposit.
The particulars, in the Order's own structure
Article 2(1)(a)–(f): the scheme administrator's name, address and contact details; the scheme's information leaflet; how the deposit is protected; how to apply for its release; what to do if the landlord cannot be contacted at the end of the tenancy; and how disputes are handled. These come from the scheme and are usually given as the scheme's own certificate and leaflet.
Article 2(1)(g): the property address; the amount; the landlord's name, address, phone and any email; the tenant's name, address, phone and any email, including the details to use to contact the tenant at the end of the tenancy; the same for any relevant person who paid the deposit; the circumstances in which all or part of the deposit may be retained, by reference to the tenancy terms; and the landlord's certificate.
The certificate
Article 2(1)(g)(vii) requires confirmation, in the form of a certificate signed by the landlord, that the information is accurate to the best of the landlord's knowledge and belief, and that the tenant has been given the opportunity to sign the document to confirm it is accurate. A prescribed-information notice with no signed certificate is defective.
What it costs to miss
Under section 214 of the Housing Act 2004 a court must order the landlord to pay the tenant between one and three times the deposit, and until the information is given the landlord cannot rely on certain possession routes. Late compliance does not cancel the penalty for the period of breach.
Questions landlords ask
- Is the scheme's certificate enough on its own?
- Usually not. The scheme's certificate and leaflet cover article 2(1)(a)–(f); the article 2(1)(g) particulars, including the landlord's signed certificate and the tenant's end-of-tenancy contact details, are the landlord's to give.
- Do I have to do it again if the tenancy renews?
- Since 1 May 2026 assured tenancies are periodic and do not renew, so the duty is once per deposit. A new deposit, or a new tenant, starts a new 30-day clock.
- Can I serve it by email?
- Yes, as an attached document, with a dated record that it was sent and to whom.
Sources
verified 2026-09-03- Housing Act 2004 ss.213–214
- Housing (Tenancy Deposits) (Prescribed Information) Order 2007, SI 2007/797, article 2
Next step
Generate the prescribed information free, with the certificate
ServeProof generates the statutory documents free, serves them as files, and keeps a hash-chained proof row for every send. England only.
This is not legal advice and not a substitute for a solicitor.