Making a claim
Got Your Deposit Back? You May Still Claim
Yes, you may still be able to claim. Getting your deposit back does not undo a failure to protect it or give you the paperwork.
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In Short
Yes, you may still be able to claim if your deposit was returned but never protected. Getting the money back does not undo your landlord's failure to protect it within 30 days or give you the prescribed information. Since 2012 former tenants can claim, and a court must award between 1x and 3x the deposit if the rules were broken. The usual time limit is six years.
Two Different Things
- Happens at the end of the tenancy
- Is about deductions for cleaning or damage
- Does not fix a breach at the start
- Is about the first 30 days
- Asks a court for 1x to 3x
- Possible even with every penny back
Any One Of These May Mean A Claim
- Never put in DPS, TDS or mydeposits
- Protected more than 30 days after you paid
- No prescribed information given to you
- Prescribed information given more than 30 days after you paid
Why You Can Still Claim
Since 6 April 2012 the law has let former tenants claim. The court looks at whether your landlord followed the rules within 30 days. Paying the deposit back later does not change that. See claiming after you move out and the paperwork you were owed.
What 1x To 3x Looks Like In Pounds
Minimum award (1x)Maximum award (3x)
The range a court must award within if the rules were broken. It is not a prediction for any one case.
What Helps (You Do Not Need It All)
- A bank statement showing you paid the deposit
- Your tenancy agreement and any renewals
- Any scheme certificate or paperwork you were given
- A bank statement showing when the deposit came back
When Does The Six Years Start?
The courts have not decided. It may run from the end of the landlord's 30 days, or arguably from when the tenancy ended. The safest view is six years from when you paid the deposit, so do not leave it late. More on how a claim works.
Here's What You Get When Working With Us
Recommended
With Free Deposit Check- Full online deposit check and analysis
- All three deposit schemes searched for you
- Eligibility and time limits checked
- Your whole case file prepared
- Matched with our specialist solicitors
- £387 court fee covered in your agreement
- With you at every step
- £0 up front and £0 if you lose (terms apply)
- Search each scheme yourself
- Work out if you qualify
- Gather and organise all the evidence
- Write the letter to your landlord
- Pay the £387 court fee up front (Help with Fees may cut it)
- Present your case to the court
- Chase your landlord for payment
- All the risk and work is on you
If you win, the solicitor's success fee (up to 25% + VAT) comes out of your compensation. The solicitor pays us for the introduction, so you never pay us anything.
Quick Answers
Can I Claim If My Deposit Was Returned In Full?
You may be able to. The claim is about whether your landlord protected it and gave you the prescribed information within 30 days, not whether you got it back.
Can I Claim After I Have Moved Out?
Yes. Since 6 April 2012 the law has allowed claims where the tenancy has ended, so former tenants can claim.
How Much Could I Get?
If a court finds the rules were broken, it must order the landlord to pay between one and three times the deposit. Judges look mainly at how far the landlord was to blame.
How Long Do I Have?
Generally six years. When the six years starts has not been decided by the courts, so it is safest to act well before then.
What Does It Cost Me?
Our service is free to you. Nothing to pay up front, and nothing if you lose (see your agreement for terms). If you win, the solicitor's success fee (up to 25% + VAT) comes out of your compensation.
Keep Reading
Sources
- Housing Act 2004, section 213 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Housing Act 2004, section 214 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Localism Act 2011, section 184 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Limitation Act 1980, section 9 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Claims against landlords for non-compliance with deposit protection rules (Shelter Legal)
- Taking your landlord to court if they haven't followed the deposit rules (Citizens Advice)
- Tenancy deposit protection (GOV.UK)
Last updated 16 October 2026. General information for tenants in England only (the rules differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland). Not legal advice.