What prescribed information is
Prescribed information is the set of details about the deposit, the tenancy and the protection scheme that the law says a landlord must give the tenant. The list is in article 2 of the Housing (Tenancy Deposits) (Prescribed Information) Order 2007.
Your scheme gives you a certificate and a leaflet when you protect the deposit. The information in the scheme's leaflet forms part of the prescribed information, so attach it to this form.
Who gets it and when
Give it within 30 days of receiving the deposit, in the prescribed form or a form substantially to the same effect.
Give it to every tenant and to any relevant person: anyone who paid all or part of the deposit on the tenant's behalf, such as a parent.
What it must include
- The scheme administrator's name, address, phone number, email address and any fax number.
- The information in the scheme's leaflet explaining how deposit protection works.
- How the deposit is repaid at the end of the tenancy, what happens if you or the tenant cannot be contacted, and what happens if the amount is disputed.
- The scheme's service for settling disputes without going to court.
- The deposit amount and the property address.
- Your name, address, phone number, email address and any fax number, and the same for each tenant, including how to contact them after the tenancy ends.
- The contact details of any relevant person.
- The circumstances in which all or part of the deposit may be kept, by reference to the tenancy agreement.
- A certificate signed by you confirming the information is accurate to the best of your knowledge and belief, and that the tenant has had the opportunity to sign it.
If it is late or missing
If you do not protect the deposit or give the prescribed information within 30 days, the tenant or relevant person can apply to court. The court must order you to pay them between one and three times the deposit within 14 days.
Since 1 May 2026 a court can only make a possession order on most grounds once the deposit is protected and the prescribed information has been given. Complying late lifts that bar. The bar does not apply to Ground 7A or Ground 14, which cover serious anti-social behaviour and nuisance, or once the deposit has been returned or the tenant's court claim has been decided, withdrawn or settled.
The three government-backed schemes
In England the deposit must go into one of three schemes: the Deposit Protection Service, mydeposits or the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. Use the certificate and leaflet from your scheme alongside this form.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there an official prescribed information form?
- No single form is mandatory. The law requires the information listed in the 2007 Order, given in the prescribed form or one substantially to the same effect. This form follows the Order item by item.
- Does someone who paid the deposit for the tenant need a copy?
- Yes. Anyone who paid all or part of the deposit on the tenant's behalf is a relevant person and must be given the prescribed information within the same 30 days.
- What is the penalty for not giving prescribed information?
- If the tenant or relevant person applies to court, the court must order the landlord to pay them between one and three times the deposit within 14 days. The court also cannot usually make a possession order until the information has been given.
Sources
Checked on 10 October 2026.