6. Claiming your deposit back
You can notify the insurance based scheme if your landlord doesn't return your deposit within 10 days of your written request.
The scheme will order the landlord to pay the disputed amount to them and hold the deposit until the dispute is resolved by:
- agreement with your landlord
- the scheme's dispute resolution service
- the court
If your deposit is held in a custodial scheme you will need to contact them to request your deposit be returned. The scheme must refund your money within 10 days if you and your landlord agree. If your landlord doesn't agree to the refund, the custodial scheme holds the money until the dispute is resolved by the scheme's dispute resolution service, or by the court.
A custodial scheme can return your deposit without you going to court if your tenancy has ended and you have no contact details for your landlord, or you have:
- written to your landlord to request return of your deposit
- not received a response within 14 days
Your landlord should have told you which tenancy deposit protection scheme they've used to protect your money. You can find out about their refund process by visiting Shelter.