Tenancy Deposit Schemes

The most difficult part of all the tenancy deposit legislation is the prescribed information requirements. Here we shall analyze the requirements in great detail and using the links on the left there is specific advice in addition to these pages for each scheme.

Thankfully, after around 18 months, the Deposit Protection Service (custodial scheme) has produced a deposit information certificate, which you can download from their website for free. It unfortunately doesn't contain a lead tenant agreement which is required by their rules but at least its a start and it is otherwise suitable.

If you have provided information to a tenant and the information was in a document less than say 6 pages long, you should read these pages carefully because it is unlikely you have provided all the necessary information. The normal Deposit Information Certificate (DIC) otherwise know as a section 213 notice, is usually an average of between 10 and 13 pages long!

Why is the prescribed information so important?
We now know that local authorities and shelter are looking at tenancy agreements and information provided by landlords. If they find that not all the information has been given or the schemes initial requirements have not been fully followed, they will be able to defend the service of a section 21 notice, which may not be served by a landlord whilst he has failed to provide all of the prescribed information [s215 HA 2004].

What does the prescribed form look like?
On the right of these pages, is how the prescribed form looks. However, you may alter the layout how you like because Parliament has made it clear it can be a form "substantially to the same effect". This means as long as all the information is provided, you may provide it however you like (as long as it is in a form).

What is the prescribed form called?
The prescribed form is know as a section 213 notice (because it is a notice required under section 213 Housing Act 2004) or a Deposit Information Certificate (DIC).