Deposits on assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) must be protected with a government approved scheme.
The landlord or agent must protect the deposit and issue prescribed information and scheme leaflet to the tenant/s and any relevant persons/guarantors within 30 days of receiving the deposit.
If there is disagreement over how the deposit is divided at the end of the tenancy, a dispute can be raised with the scheme and an impartial adjudicator will decide how the deposit should be divided based on the evidence provided.
Tenancy deposit protection is a requirement of the Housing Act 2004.