How much deposit can a landlord take in England?
Short answer
Five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, and six weeks where it is £50,000 or more. A holding deposit is capped separately at one week's rent. The deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receipt.
Verified · 4 cited sources
The caps come from the Tenant Fees Act 2019, which also banned almost all other fees charged to tenants in England — no charges for viewings, references, credit checks, inventories, administration or tenancy renewal.
The deposit must be placed in one of three government-approved protection schemes within 30 days, and you must be given prescribed information telling you which scheme holds it and how to get it back. Failure to do either carries serious consequences: a court can order the deposit returned plus a penalty of one to three times its value, and an unprotected deposit blocks a section 21 notice until the position is regularised.
A holding deposit is a separate payment to reserve a property while checks are done. It is capped at one week's rent and must be repaid or put toward the rent or deposit within 15 days unless you withdraw, fail a right to rent check, provide false information, or fail to take reasonable steps to enter the tenancy.
Scotland caps deposits at two months' rent, with its own approved schemes and a 30-working-day lodgement deadline. Wales operates under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act with occupation contracts and its own fee ban. Northern Ireland has separate rules again.
At the end of the tenancy, a landlord must justify any deduction. Fair wear and tear is never deductible, and damage is deductible only at depreciated value rather than the cost of a new replacement. Scheme adjudication is free and places the burden of proof on the landlord.
- Five weeks' rent, or six where annual rent is £50,000 or more (England)
- Holding deposit capped separately at one week's rent
- Must be protected within 30 days with prescribed information given
- Non-protection carries a penalty of one to three times the deposit
- Scotland caps at two months; Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules
People also ask
Sources & provenance
Facts verified
- 1.Tenant Fees Act 2019 Legislationlegislation.gov.ukUsed for: Deposit and holding deposit caps and the fee ban
- 2.Tenancy deposit protection OfficialUK GovernmentUsed for: 30-day protection deadline, approved schemes and prescribed information
- 3.Tenancy deposit protection: disputes and problems OfficialUK GovernmentUsed for: One to three times penalty for non-protection
- 4.Tenancy deposits OfficialScottish GovernmentUsed for: Scottish two-month cap and lodgement timescale
Caps, protection requirements and penalties come from the Tenant Fees Act, GOV.UK and the Scottish Government as cited. This describes England most closely — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different caps, schemes and tenancy frameworks. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 changes several aspects of the English private rented sector with provisions commencing in stages; check GOV.UK for what is in force.
Facts on this page are taken from the sources listed above — UK government departments, devolved administrations, regulators, statutory bodies and official statistical releases. Comparisons, judgements and "which option suits whom" conclusions are AI-assisted analysis written over those sources; they are marked in the text and listed as an AI-analysis entry in the sources, not attributed to any authority. Rates, thresholds, fees and processing times change, usually at the start of a tax year in April; figures are current as at the review date shown and should be confirmed with the responsible body before you rely on them. Much of what follows differs between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — where it does, this site says so.