DPS – Prescribed Information
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When your tenant provides a rental deposit, you need to protect it with a tenancy deposit scheme like that offered by the Deposit Protection Service (DPS), My Deposits or the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) within 30 days of it being paid by the tenant.
But your obligations don’t end with protecting the deposit money. After that, you need to serve the Prescribed Information on your tenants. It’s a legal requirement to protect tenancy deposits and serve the information. If you don’t, any notice you serve later may be invalid, and you could be sued.
Read below to find out more about Prescribed Information and what you need to do to comply with the law.
What is the Prescribed Information?
Prescribed Information is a set of details relating to a tenancy and a tenant’s deposit.
The information will include details such as:
- The amount of the deposit
- The property address
- The name, address, and contact details of the tenancy deposit scheme administrator with which the deposit is held
- The name, address, and contact details of the tenants, the landlord, and any third parties who contributed to the deposit
This information can be presented either through a downloadable form or through a Prescribed Information template supplied by your chosen protection scheme.
Alongside the Prescribed Information, you’re also obliged to provide your tenants with a copy of their tenancy deposit protection certificate or receipt plus the deposit protection scheme leaflet.
Be sure to read the terms and conditions of your tenancy deposit scheme carefully, as these can differ between services.
Regardless of the tenancy deposit scheme that you use, you must return the agreed amount of the deposit money to your tenants within 10 days of the end of the tenancy. If there is a dispute, the money must be held until it is resolved.
Where Can I Get the Prescribed Information Form?
You can download it from the website of the tenancy deposit scheme provider you decide to use. For example, when you protect a deposit by submitting it to the Deposit Protection Service online, you’ll be provided with a copy of the Prescribed Information form. You also need to ensure that you supply the tenant with the deposit certificate and any leaflet produced by the scheme.
Who Should the Prescribed Information be Served to?
The Prescribed Information must be served to the tenants of any rental property in England who has paid a deposit. The Prescribed Information must also be served on or a ‘relevant person’ A relevant person is any person who paid the deposit for the tenant.
When Should I Serve the Prescribed Information?
The Prescribed Information, and additional details like a tenancy deposit scheme leaflet, must legally be served to the tenants of your rental property and any relevant person within 30 days of you receiving their deposit.
Call Helix Law
Are you dealing with a problem to do with Prescribed Information, terms and conditions of tenancy deposit protection schemes and the differences between the old legislation and the Renters Rights Act 2025 (“the RRA 2025”), or anything else relating to private renting laws? Contact our property team today. Helix Law is happy to help.
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