Landlord Hasn't Returned Your Deposit? (UK)
Two separate things decide this, and the second is worth far more than the first: how long they have to pay you back, and whether your deposit was ever protected in the first place.
The short answer
Once you and your landlord have agreed how much is being returned, the deposit must be repaid within 10 days of that agreement. The clock starts at agreement, not when you moved out — and silence is not agreement. Separately, if your deposit was never protected in a government-approved scheme, or you were never given the prescribed information, a court must order the landlord to pay you between one and three times the deposit.
Contents
The 10 days starts later than people think
It does not run from the end of the tenancy. It runs from the point you and the landlord agree the figure — and an agreement has to be explicit. If the landlord sends a list of proposed deductions and you do not reply, nothing has been agreed and the 10 days has not started. That cuts both ways: replying to accept starts the clock, and ignoring the email does not.
How the clock actually works
- 10 days from AGREEMENT on the amount, not from move-out
- Silence is not agreement — reply in writing to start it
- Where there is a dispute, the UNDISPUTED part should still come back to you
- The disputed part is held by the scheme until adjudication decides it
Check protection before you argue about the money
This is the more valuable question and most people never ask it. A deposit taken for a private tenancy must be placed in an approved scheme within 30 days, and you must be given the prescribed information telling you where it is, within the same 30 days. If either did not happen, a court must order the landlord to pay you between one and three times the deposit — on top of returning it.
How to check
- Search your emails for a scheme certificate or the prescribed information
- Check each scheme's online tenancy lookup if you cannot find it
- Note the date the deposit was taken and the date it was protected, if at all
- Ask the landlord directly, in writing, which scheme holds it — the answer is useful either way
If the deposit is protected and you simply disagree
Use the scheme's free adjudication. The landlord has to justify every deduction with evidence, and unevidenced deductions usually fail. That process is covered in the related guide on disputing deductions.
Note on tenancy types
Most private tenancies in England became assured tenancies on 1 May 2026, when assured shorthold tenancies were abolished. The deposit rules carried across, and a deposit protected before that date did not need re-registering — so a landlord saying the rules changed is not a reason for your money to be withheld. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own systems.
Deposit not returned
Edit this template with your facts, dates, and requested outcome before sending.
Subject: Return of tenancy deposit — [address] Dear [Landlord/Agent], My tenancy at [address] ended on [date]. My deposit of [amount] has not been returned. [If a figure was agreed: We agreed on [date] that [amount] would be returned to me. More than 10 days have passed since that agreement.] [If nothing was agreed: You have not proposed any deductions, or explained why the deposit is being withheld.] Please also confirm which government-approved scheme my deposit was protected in, the date it was protected, and provide the prescribed information if it was not given to me at the time. I ask that the undisputed amount is returned without further delay, and that you confirm the position in writing within 14 days. Kind regards, [Your Name]
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for the 10 days to run from move-out, when it runs from agreement
- Never replying to a list of proposed deductions, which leaves the clock unstarted
- Arguing about deductions without first checking whether the deposit was ever protected
- Accepting a partial return without asking for the undisputed amount separately
- Not asking, in writing, which scheme holds the deposit — the answer is evidence either way
- Assuming nothing can be done because the tenancy has ended
Next steps
- 1Find the date the tenancy ended and any agreement about the amount
- 2Check whether the deposit was protected, and when
- 3Write asking for the scheme details and the return of the undisputed amount
- 4If it was never protected, take advice before agreeing anything
- 5If it is protected and you disagree on deductions, use the scheme's free adjudication
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