Tenancy Deposit Prescribed Information: An Evidence Checklist

A protected deposit is not the same as a complete deposit-information record. For a tenancy deposit covered by England’s protection rules, you must protect it and give the required prescribed information within 30 days of receiving it. Check both duties separately, then retain evidence of what was provided, to whom and when.

This guide is for residential landlords in England, including assured periodic tenancies. It is an administrative checklist, not an official prescribed-information form or legal advice. Different arrangements and other UK nations need their own checks. Start with GOV.UK’s current deposit guidance if applicability is uncertain.

1. Start with receipt, not the move-in date

Open the record when deposit money arrives. Put the payment evidence beside the date used for the deadline, rather than copying the proposed tenancy start. If an agent received it, establish that receipt date and who owns each next step. An email saying “we handle deposits” is not a completion record.

The receipt date is day one of the 30-day period, not day zero. For example, receipt on 1 September makes 30 September day 30. This inclusive counting follows section 213 of the Housing Act 2004; do not add 30 further days to the receipt date.

For instalments, do not wait for the final payment before acting. DPS guidance explains protection of individual payments and updated information. Record each receipt and ask your scheme how to handle your arrangement. Set an internal review ahead of the legal deadline so missing details can be resolved.

2. Assemble the complete scheme-specific pack

Use your chosen scheme’s current prescribed-information form and instructions, not a downloaded template of uncertain age. Match it to the correct custodial or insured arrangement. DPS provides separate forms; a scheme’s protection confirmation does not replace completing and giving the required information.

GOV.UK’s information checklist covers the property, deposit amount, scheme and dispute contacts, landlord or agent details, third-party payer details, retention circumstances and return procedures. Check those entries against the tenancy and payment record. A polished PDF with the wrong property or an omitted contributor is still an unresolved issue.

Keep the applicable scheme leaflet with the pack. Article 2 of the prescribed-information order includes landlord certification and giving the tenant an opportunity to sign for accuracy. Follow the applicable landlord or agent signing requirements. Do not confuse that opportunity with a rule that a returned tenant signature is the only possible evidence of completion.

3. Copy this deposit evidence record

Use these fields as an internal cover sheet. They help you check the official pack; they do not replace it.

• Property and tenancy: address, tenancy reference and people named on the agreement.
• Money received: amount, receipt date, payer and payment evidence for each receipt.
• Scheme: provider, arrangement, deposit reference and protection confirmation.
• Pack version: completed form, applicable leaflet, certification and preparation date.
• Recipients checked: tenants, any relevant third-party payer and verified contact details.
• Service record: exact documents, method, recipient and date for each delivery.
• Follow-up: acknowledgements, failed delivery, questions and corrections outstanding.
• Accountability: person responsible, next action, target date and reviewer.

Keep receipt, protection and service dates separate. Use “unknown—request evidence” for a gap instead of filling it with today’s date. Restrict access to personal information and share only what the recipient needs.

4. Retain what was actually given

A file in your own document folder proves neither receipt by a tenant nor valid service. Check the permitted method and required recipients against the scheme instructions and your circumstances; obtain advice where uncertain. Do not assume that an email, a portal upload or a generic notification is sufficient in every case.

Keep the actual pack version and its sending record together. If delivery fails, leave the action open, investigate promptly and record the subsequent steps. If someone requests an accessible format, manage that request explicitly. A working link today can expire tomorrow, so retain the underlying documents rather than only a link.

5. Worked example: protected, but not yet complete

Fictional example—not a customer case. Sample House has two joint tenants, with part of the deposit contributed by a parent. Before the deadline, the landlord reviews the file. The scheme confirmation is present, but the draft pack omits the contributor and the sending record covers only one tenant.

The landlord does not mark the whole task complete. They check the scheme’s recipient requirements, correct the pack, complete the required certification and arrange the appropriate service. The record identifies each remaining action and retains the actual dates and versions. The lesson is the review process, not a claim that any particular correction guarantees legal compliance.

6. Handle changes and gaps honestly

Revisit the record when deposit money, parties, management or scheme arrangements change. Ask your scheme what must be updated or provided again; do not assume every change creates a fresh deadline or that nothing needs doing.

If a deadline may have been missed, obtain prompt scheme guidance and qualified housing-law advice. Preserve the original history, record corrective action accurately and never backdate service evidence. A late upload or a newly generated certificate cannot establish that an earlier duty was completed on time.

7. Common mistakes worth catching

• One green tick for everything: separate protection, pack preparation and service review.
• A handover without attachments: request the underlying records from an agent, not just an assurance.
• Silently replacing a file: preserve versions so the sending record points to the actual pack.
• Assuming silence means agreement: record what happened without inventing an acknowledgement.

8. Frequently asked questions

Is the scheme certificate enough?

No. Keep it as evidence of protection, but separately check the completed prescribed-information pack and how it was given. See the scheme’s current instructions, not just the certificate title.

Can this checklist serve as prescribed information?

No. It is your internal review sheet. Use the correct scheme documents and process, including the applicable certification and recipient requirements.

Can software protect the deposit for me?

Do not assume it can. Tendmere’s document workspace can help organise records; it does not register your deposit with a scheme or make an uploaded pack legally served.

Use the free compliance calendar to organise dates you supply, then keep the evidence in a property file. The calendar is a planning aid, not verification of protection, service or compliance.