Tenancy deposit calculator
What every landlord in England needs to know when taking a deposit: the most it can be, and the last day to protect it and give your tenant the prescribed information. It runs in your browser: nothing you type is sent to us.
The rules it applies
The deposit must be protected in a government-backed scheme within 30 days, beginning with the day you receive it.
Within the same 30 days you must give the prescribed information to your tenant, and to anyone who paid the deposit on their behalf.
The deposit can be no more than five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, and no more than six weeks' rent where it is £50,000 or more. Anything over that is a prohibited payment.
One week's rent is the annual rent divided by 52.
With joint tenants, the cap is on the deposit for the whole home, worked out from the total rent, not a full deposit from each tenant.
If the rent is more than £100,000 a year, the tenancy is not an assured tenancy, and the statutory guidance says it is not covered by the Tenant Fees Act. The calculator stops there.
If a deposit is not protected, a court can order you to repay your tenant up to 3 times the deposit.
How it counts
The day you receive the deposit is day 1 of the 30, so the last day is 29 days after it.
A year's rent is 12 monthly payments, 52 weekly ones, 26 fortnightly ones or 13 four-weekly ones. The cap is rounded down to the penny, so it never sits a fraction over the limit.
The law, word for word
Each quote below was read on its page on 01/10/2026. Follow the link to read it in full. Square brackets are how legislation.gov.uk marks a word an amendment changed.
Protect the deposit within 30 days
“the initial requirements of an authorised scheme must be complied with by the landlord in relation to the deposit within the period of [ F2 30 ] days beginning with the date on which it is received”
Housing Act 2004, section 213 (legislation.gov.uk)“You (or your letting agent) must put your tenants’ deposit in the scheme within 30 days of getting it.”
Deposit protection schemes and landlords (GOV.UK)“Any deposit that a landlord or agent requests for an assured periodic tenancy must be protected in a government backed tenancy deposit scheme within 30 days of payment.”
Tenant Fees Act 2019: statutory guidance, as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (GOV.UK)
Give the prescribed information within 30 days
“A landlord who has received such a tenancy deposit must give the tenant and any relevant person such information”
Housing Act 2004, section 213 (legislation.gov.uk)“within the period of [ F3 30 ] days beginning with the date on which the deposit is received by the landlord”
Housing Act 2004, section 213 (legislation.gov.uk)“any person who, in accordance with arrangements made with the tenant, paid the deposit on behalf of the tenant”
Housing Act 2004, section 213 (legislation.gov.uk)“Within 30 days of getting their deposit, you must tell your tenants:”
Deposit protection: information you must give to your tenants (GOV.UK)
The cap: five weeks' rent, or six from £50,000 a year
“the amount of five weeks' rent, where the annual rent in respect of the tenancy immediately after its grant, renewal or continuance is less than £50,000”
Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 1, paragraph 2 (legislation.gov.uk)“the amount of six weeks' rent, where the annual rent in respect of the tenancy immediately after its grant, renewal or continuance is £50,000 or more”
Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 1, paragraph 2 (legislation.gov.uk)“They must not ask for a deposit which is more than five weeks’ rent for properties where the annual rent is below £50,000.”
Tenant Fees Act 2019: statutory guidance, as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (GOV.UK)
One week's rent is the annual rent divided by 52
“means the amount of the annual rent payable in respect of the tenancy immediately after its grant, renewal or continuance divided by 52”
Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 1, paragraph 2 (legislation.gov.uk)““five weeks' rent” means five times one week's rent”
Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 1, paragraph 2 (legislation.gov.uk)““six weeks' rent” means six times one week's rent”
Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 1, paragraph 2 (legislation.gov.uk)
Anything over the cap is a prohibited payment
“the amount of the excess is a prohibited payment”
Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 1, paragraph 2 (legislation.gov.uk)
Joint tenants: one cap for the whole rent
“The landlord or agent cannot ask each tenant to pay a tenancy deposit of up to five times the total weekly rent.”
Tenant Fees Act 2019: statutory guidance, as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (GOV.UK)“The maximum tenancy deposit they could be asked to pay would be £1,200.”
Tenant Fees Act 2019: statutory guidance, as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (GOV.UK)
Rent over £100,000 a year
“Properties with an annual rent of more than £100,000 are not covered by the Tenant Fees Act.”
Tenant Fees Act 2019: statutory guidance, as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (GOV.UK)“if and so long as a tenancy falls within any paragraph in Part I of Schedule 1 to this Act, it cannot be an assured tenancy”
Housing Act 1988, section 1 (legislation.gov.uk)“under which the rent payable for the time being is payable at a rate exceeding [ F2 £100,000 ] a year”
Housing Act 1988, Schedule 1, paragraph 2 (legislation.gov.uk)
If a deposit is not protected
“order the landlord to pay to the applicant a sum of money [ F13 not less than the amount of the deposit and not more than ] three times the amount of the deposit”
Housing Act 2004, section 214 (legislation.gov.uk)“The court may also order you to repay your tenants up to 3 times their original deposit within 14 days of making the order.”
Deposit protection: if you do not protect your tenants' deposit (GOV.UK)
Check the rest of your rental
The free check tests your answers against the rules for your rental, with the official source for each and the fine where the law sets one.
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Datestone is a tool for running your rental homes, and this calculator is not legal advice. Read the sources before you rely on it, and get advice if anything about your tenancy is unusual.