Checking your deposit

How To Check Your Deposit Is Protected

Search the three government schemes, DPS, TDS and mydeposits, with a few details. Your landlord had 30 days to protect your deposit.

Calculate What You Could Claim

Free to check · 60 seconds · No win, no fee

30 daysfor your landlord to protect it
3 schemesDPS, TDS and mydeposits
Freeall three scheme searches cost nothing

In Short

To check if your deposit is protected, search the three government-approved schemes in England: DPS, TDS and mydeposits. Each search asks for a few details, such as your surname, postcode and tenancy start date (DPS and TDS also ask for the deposit amount), and they must match exactly. Your landlord had 30 days from receiving the deposit to protect it. If it is not in any scheme, it may never have been protected.

Have These Four Details Ready

  • The postcode of the home you rent or rented
  • Your surname, as it is on the tenancy agreement
  • Your tenancy start date
  • The exact deposit amount, in pounds and pence

Search In Four Steps

  1. Check Your PaperworkA certificate or scheme email tells you which scheme to search first.
  2. Search Each SchemeYour landlord chose the scheme, so you may need to try all three.
  3. Try Every SurnameOn a joint tenancy, search with each tenant's surname in turn.
  4. Still Nothing? CallThe scheme helplines can search for you. Calls are usually in your bundle.

The Three Schemes

Deposit Protection ServiceDeposit Protection Servicedepositprotection.com. Helpline 0330 303 0030.
Tenancy Deposit SchemeTenancy Deposit Schemetenancydepositscheme.com. Helpline 0300 037 1000 (insured) or 0300 037 1001 (custodial).
mydepositsmydepositsmydeposits.co.uk. Helpline 0333 321 9401.

What Your Result Means

  1. Found, On TimeProtected within 30 days. Check you got the paperwork too.
  2. Found, But LateProtected after 30 days. That still breaks the rules.
  3. Not FoundCheck your details first. It may never have been protected.

Worried About Your Home?

Since 1 May 2026 landlords can no longer use a section 21 "no-fault" notice, and while a deposit is unprotected most possession grounds are blocked. Read will claiming affect my tenancy?

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)
Claiming Yourself
  • 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
Calculate What You Could Claim

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

How Do I Check If My Deposit Is Protected?

Search the DPS, TDS and mydeposits websites. Each search is free and needs your postcode, surname, tenancy start date and deposit amount.

How Long Does My Landlord Have To Protect My Deposit?

30 days from receiving it. They must also give you the prescribed information within those 30 days.

Does It Cost Anything To Check?

No. The scheme searches are free, and so is our check. Scheme helplines use 0300, 0330 and 0333 numbers, usually included in call bundles.

What If My Deposit Is Not On Any Scheme?

Check your details and try a joint tenant's surname. Then ask your landlord in writing. If it was never protected, you may be able to claim 1x to 3x the deposit.

Is Free Deposit Check A Deposit Scheme?

No. We are not a deposit scheme and not connected to DPS, TDS or mydeposits.

Keep Reading

Checking your depositHow To Check Your Deposit With The DPSRead Checking your depositHow To Check Your Deposit With TDSRead Checking your depositHow To Check Your Deposit With mydepositsRead
Sources

Last updated 15 October 2026. General information for tenants in England only (the rules differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland). Not legal advice.

About usGuidesDeposit checkCompensation calculatorRefer a friendPrivacy PolicyReferral TermsCookie PolicyCookie settingsFree Deposit Check is a trading style of FLUXMA Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 16655882. Registered office: Hall Farm, Langley, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 0HW.