Guide · Housing & Renting

Using tenancy deposit scheme dispute resolution

How deposit scheme adjudication works, what evidence to submit, what happens to the money and when another route may be needed.

Reviewed 15 September 2026England

How deposit scheme adjudication works, what evidence to submit, what happens to the money and when another route may be needed.

This guide is written for England. Housing law is devolved; do not apply it to a property in another UK nation unless the guide expressly says so.

The scheme is usually the quickest structured route for a protected deposit dispute

Government-backed tenancy deposit schemes offer free dispute resolution where landlord and tenant disagree about how much deposit should be returned. The parties are asked for evidence and, where they use the scheme’s adjudication route, the decision on the deposit is final within that process.

Prepare the case before submitting it

  1. List each deduction separately.
  2. State whether you accept, partly accept or dispute it.
  3. Attach the check-in and check-out evidence relevant to that deduction.
  4. Explain age, condition and fair wear where relevant.
  5. Deal separately with rent arrears, bills and property condition.

Do not submit an email dump

A concise issue-by-issue bundle is easier to decide than hundreds of pages of messages. Use a short chronology and label the key photographs or documents. If the landlord’s evidence does not show the starting condition, say so directly.

Keep other legal issues separate

A scheme dispute about deductions is not the same as a Housing Act 2004 claim that the deposit was never protected properly, or a Tenant Fees Act issue about an excessive deposit. Those can require different routes.

Related housing guidance

Keep building the case.

Deposit disputes: evidence that mattersBuild the evidence before adjudication.Deposit not protectedUse the court route where the protection requirements were breached.Deposit deductionsAnalyse the underlying deduction first.

Official sources

Check the current rules behind this guide.

Housing law changes frequently and is devolved. Check the live official source where a notice period, commencement date, statutory form or eligibility rule may have changed.