Prescribed information for a tenancy deposit: what to include
The second half of the deposit duty — serving the prescribed information within 30 days — trips up more landlords than the protection itself. This is what has to be in it.
Under the tenancy deposit rules in England, protecting the money is only half the duty. The landlord must also serve the tenant a prescribed set of information within 30 days of receiving the deposit. Missing pieces or late service can carry the same consequences as not protecting at all. This page is a plain summary, not legal advice.
What must be in the prescribed information
- The amount of the deposit paid.
- The address of the property.
- The name, address and contact details of the landlord.
- The name, address and contact details of any relevant person who paid the deposit on the tenant's behalf.
- The name and contact details of the tenancy deposit scheme.
- The scheme's dispute resolution service.
- The circumstances in which some or all of the deposit may be retained (referencing the tenancy agreement).
- Confirmation, signed by the landlord, that the information given is accurate to the best of their knowledge and that the tenant has had a chance to sign to acknowledge.
Why templates matter
The wording is prescribed for a reason: courts have found small omissions to be enough to invalidate service. Every authorised scheme publishes a template that captures the legal language. Adapt the template to your tenancy — do not rewrite the required paragraphs from scratch.
How to serve it
- Give the tenant a copy in a form the tenancy agreement allows for service (usually paper or email).
- Ask for a signed acknowledgement — a wet-ink signature or a clear email reply is fine.
- Keep the served copy, dated, in the property file alongside the deposit protection certificate.
What CertDiary tracks
The deposit item stays open until both protection and prescribed information have been marked done. On a paid plan, we email 30, 14 and 7 days ahead of the 30-day mark to keep both halves inside the window. See the sister guide on tenancy deposit schemes compared for the protection half of the duty.
Track the arrival date, the scheme, and the served date against the property on the deposit diary page.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the prescribed information?
- It is a defined set of details about a tenancy deposit that the landlord must give the tenant within 30 days of receipt: the amount, the property, the scheme it is protected in, the parties, the circumstances in which some or all of the deposit may be withheld, and how to raise a dispute.
- Can I use the deposit scheme's template?
- Yes — every authorised scheme (DPS, TDS, mydeposits) publishes a prescribed information template. It is usually the safest starting point because the required legal wording is already in place.
- What happens if the prescribed information is incomplete or late?
- It can be treated the same as failing to protect the deposit. The tenant can apply for a penalty of between one and three times the deposit, and a Section 21 notice can be invalidated. Fixing it later is possible in some cases but does not always restore the position.
Put the date in a diary. We email you before it lapses.
One property and dates only are free. Paid plans add certificate uploads and the 30 / 14 / 7 day emails.
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