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Step 6 · Starting a tenancy
Take and protect the deposit
Max 5 weeks' rent; protect within 30 days with prescribed information.
What you need to know
- Deposit capped at five weeks' rent (six if annual rent is £50,000 or more); holding deposit capped at one week.
- Protect it with DPS, mydeposits or TDS within 30 days, and give the tenant the prescribed information within the same 30 days.
- Not protecting it can cost 1–3 times the deposit and blocks most possession grounds until it's put right.
Documents for this step
Source: GOV.UK: tenancy deposit protection. Checked 31 Oct 2026. General information, not legal advice.