PROPERTY · UK

Deposit Dispute Letter: Free UK Template

Generate a deposit dispute letter to your landlord or letting agent. Reference the deposit protection scheme rules and Housing Act 2004. Free DraftRight UK template.

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About Deposit Disputes

Tenancy deposits must be dealt with in accordance with an authorised scheme from the moment they are received, and the scheme's initial requirements must be met within 30 days (Housing Act 2004 s.213(1) and (3)). If the landlord won’t return your deposit, this letter formally requests it back, citing the scheme rules and Housing Act 2004 obligations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What schemes can my deposit be in?

Deposit Protection Service (DPS), MyDeposits, or Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). Your landlord must give you the prescribed information about the scheme, in the prescribed form, within 30 days of receiving the deposit (Housing Act 2004 s.213(5) and (6)).

What if my deposit was not protected?

You can apply to the county court, and where the deposit was not protected in time or the prescribed information was not given, the court must order the landlord to pay you not less than the amount of the deposit and not more than three times that amount (Housing Act 2004 s.214(4)).

How do I open a dispute?

Most schemes have a free Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service. This letter is the first formal step before opening ADR or county court proceedings.

Is this free to generate?

Yes: basic generation is free. Pro and Elite plans give clean PDF downloads.

Law updates

When one of the official sources DraftRight watches for this document changes, and a person has checked the change, we email a short note to the people who asked for one. Get law updates for tenants.

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