Zero Deposit vs flatfair vs Reposit: which deposit replacement scheme is best?

Three providers dominate the UK deposit replacement market: Zero Deposit, flatfair and Reposit. All three let a tenant pay a non-refundable fee instead of a five-week cash deposit, and all three are free for the landlord, but they differ materially on the four points that decide whether a claim succeeds: how much cover the landlord gets, whether the product is FCA-regulated insurance or a discretionary promise, how disputes are resolved, and what the tenant pays over the life of the tenancy. This comparison sets out each scheme's current terms, checked against the providers' own published pricing in July 2026.

The three schemes at a glance

Figures are the providers' published terms as at July 2026 and are typically split between joint tenants. Check the current terms before offering any scheme, as pricing changes.

Zero Deposit review

Zero Deposit is the most conventionally protected of the three. The guarantee is an insurance product regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, underwritten by Great Lakes Insurance, protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and answerable to the Financial Ombudsman. Disputes go to The Dispute Service, the same adjudicator landlords know from statutory deposit protection, and approved claims pay out within two working days of bank details being provided. The trade-offs are the lowest cover ceiling of the three at six weeks' rent, a 28-day window to notify a claim, and a requirement to evidence that the tenant was properly referenced, without which a claim can be declined. The tenant pays around one week's rent plus a £59.99 set-up fee, then £17.50 a year.

flatfair review

flatfair offers the highest cover at up to ten weeks' rent, though never more than five weeks of it in arrears, and charges the tenant a single check-in fee of 28% of a month's rent plus VAT, with no renewal charges however long the tenancy runs. The structural difference is that flatfair is not insurance: it describes its protection as discretionary, judged case by case against its terms. In practice its payout record is well regarded and charges are resolved through independent adjudication with payment within ten days of agreement, but a landlord comparing schemes should understand that a discretionary promise and a regulated insurance policy are different instruments, particularly if the provider itself were ever in difficulty. The upfront fee works out slightly higher than one week's rent once VAT is added, which some tenants will notice.

Reposit review

Reposit sits between the two: FCA-authorised, insurance-backed cover of up to eight weeks' rent, with the tenant paying one week's rent (minimum £150, no VAT) and a £30 annual fee per tenancy thereafter. Eligibility is broader than some rivals, accepting tenants who pass referencing or who have a referenced guarantor. Over a multi-year tenancy it is usually the cheapest of the three for the tenant at typical rent levels, though the honest answer is that the cheapest scheme depends on the rent and the tenancy length, so run the numbers for your own figures before presenting options.

The legal position

Whichever scheme you prefer, you cannot require it. Under government guidance on the Tenant Fees Act 2019, a deposit replacement product must be offered as a genuine choice alongside a traditional deposit, and making it a condition of the tenancy is likely to constitute a prohibited payment. The context has shifted since 1 May 2026, when the Renters' Rights Act 2025 limited rent in advance to one month: landlords can no longer bridge an affordability gap with several months upfront, which is part of why these schemes now come up in more letting conversations. What a deposit replacement scheme is, and how zero deposit schemes work mechanically, are covered in our dictionary; how statutory protection compares is covered in our guide to the tenancy deposit scheme.

Which scheme should a landlord choose?

Choose on the risk you most want to remove. If regulatory certainty matters most, Zero Deposit and Reposit are FCA-regulated insurance products while flatfair is not, and that distinction should weigh heavily for a landlord whose priority is knowing the promise behind the guarantee is enforceable. If cover depth matters most, flatfair's ten weeks leads, with the arrears cap noted. If tenant cost matters most, because a cheaper scheme is an easier sell to an applicant weighing it against a refundable deposit, Reposit usually wins over a multi-year tenancy. From working with self-managing landlords across the UK, the deciding factor is often none of these: it is whether the landlord's evidence would survive adjudication, because every provider pays only against a documented inventory, check-in report and dated photographs. Landlords on August keep that evidence alongside their tenancy records in document management, and where a claim involves arrears, a verified payment history from rent tracking settles in minutes what an email trail argues about for weeks.

Frequently asked questions

Are deposit replacement schemes worth it for landlords? 

They cost the landlord nothing and can shorten void periods by lowering the tenant's move-in cost, with cover ceilings above the five-week statutory cap. The trade-offs are a claims process that demands stronger evidence than a deposit deduction and, for non-insurance products, reliance on a discretionary promise rather than a regulated policy.

Can I offer only a deposit replacement scheme and no cash deposit? 

No. Government guidance on the Tenant Fees Act 2019 requires the tenant to have a genuine choice between a traditional deposit and a replacement product. Requiring the scheme risks a prohibited payment enforcement by the local authority.

Which is the cheapest scheme for tenants? 

It depends on rent level and tenancy length. Reposit is usually cheapest over multiple years at typical rents, flatfair costs more upfront but has no renewal fees, and Zero Deposit sits in the middle with a set-up fee and a small annual charge. Compare all three against five weeks' refundable cash for your actual rent, and if you want the rest of the tenancy, from rent to compliance, as organised as the deposit decision, you can start with August for free.