Prescribed Information

Prescribed information is a specific set of details that a landlord or letting agent must give a tenant in writing when a tenancy deposit is taken for an assured tenancy in England. The rules come from the Housing Act 2004 and the Housing (Tenancy Deposits) (Prescribed Information) Order 2007.

It must normally be served within 30 days of the landlord or agent receiving the deposit. The prescribed information includes:

• The amount of the deposit

• The address of the property

• Contact details for the landlord

• Tenant and any “relevant person” who paid the deposit

• The name and contact details of the authorised deposit scheme

• The scheme’s information leaflet; and

• An explanation of how the deposit will be repaid, when the landlord can claim deductions, and how disputes are resolved through the scheme’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

The landlord must also sign a certificate confirming the accuracy of the information and give the tenant an opportunity to sign. If prescribed information is missing, late or inaccurate, the tenant can usually claim a financial penalty and, in serious cases, this can affect the landlord’s ability to regain possession.