Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) — check your deposit & certificate
Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) is one of the three government-approved tenancy deposit schemes (Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government). It operates custodial and insured protection. Here is how to verify your deposit and what the result means for a s.213/s.214 claim.
Checker: https://www.tenancydepositscheme.com/is-my-deposit-protected · alternate route
What you need: Deposit account number (EWC... custodial / EWI... insured) or certificate code + postcode; alternatively total deposit amount, tenancy postcode, lead tenant surname and tenancy start date
Phone: 0330 303 1116 · Address: TDS, West Wing, First Floor, The Maylands Building, 200 Maylands Avenue, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7TG
Verified 2026-09-05 from https://www.tenancydepositscheme.com/. We are not affiliated with Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS).
Step 1 — search this scheme
- Open the official checker above (free; your landlord is not notified).
- Enter deposit account number (EWC... custodial / EWI... insured) or certificate code + postcode; alternatively total deposit amount, tenancy postcode, lead tenant surname and tenancy start date.
- Found it? Open your certificate and note the protection date — that date decides everything.
Step 2 — if no record is found
Check the other two schemes: DPS · TDS · mydeposits. If all three come back empty, ask each scheme in writing to confirm that no deposit is held — that "non-protection confirmation" is the unassailable evidence for court.
Step 3 — read the 30-day clock
If the certificate date is more than 30 days after you paid the deposit, or you were never given the prescribed information, the landlord has breached s.213(3) and/or s.213(6) Housing Act 2004. The remedy is mandatory: under s.214(4) the court must order repayment plus 1x–3x the deposit.
Run the 30-day breach calculator to size the claim, then generate your free 14-day Letter Before Action. Most landlords settle once the statutory arithmetic is on the table.
Casewright claim pack
Landlord in a Tenancy Deposit Scheme-protected tenancy failed the 30-day rule? The Casewright Tenancy Deposit Pack generates your formal 14-day Letter Before Claim and Money Claim Online particulars citing s.213 and s.214 Housing Act 2004. Flat £69 — no percentage of your award, unlike no-win-no-fee deposit lawyers who take 35–42%.
Tenancy Deposit Scheme FAQs
How do I check if my deposit is protected with Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS)?
Use the official checker: https://www.tenancydepositscheme.com/is-my-deposit-protected. You will need: Deposit account number (EWC... custodial / EWI... insured) or certificate code + postcode; alternatively total deposit amount, tenancy postcode, lead tenant surname and tenancy start date. The check is free and does not alert your landlord.
What if Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) has no record of my deposit?
Search the other two approved schemes (DPS, TDS, mydeposits). If all three return no record, request written confirmation of non-protection from each — that is the evidence base for a s.214 Housing Act 2004 claim. Then send a 14-day Letter Before Action.
What if my deposit was protected but late?
Protection after the 30-day window is still a breach of s.213(3) Housing Act 2004. Late protection does not cure the original breach: the court must still order 1x to 3x the deposit as a penalty under s.214(4). Check your dates with the 30-day breach calculator.
Shelter's free emergency housing advice line: 0808 800 4444 (England, weekdays) · Citizens Advice: 0808 223 1133. If you are being illegally locked out right now, call 999.