Tenancy Deposit Schemes Explained: DPS vs TDS vs MyDeposits

By law in England, your landlord must protect your deposit in one of three government-approved schemes within 30 days of receiving it. Here's what that actually means for you.

The three schemes

The Deposit Protection Service (DPS), the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) and MyDeposits all do the same core job: they hold or insure your deposit and provide a free dispute service if you and your landlord disagree at the end of the tenancy.

Custodial vs insured

Some schemes hold the cash directly (custodial); others let the landlord keep the money but insure it (insured). Either way, your deposit is protected and the scheme — not your landlord — has the final say in a dispute.

What you should receive

Within 30 days, your landlord must also give you the "prescribed information": which scheme holds your deposit, how much it is, and how to get it back. If they don't protect it or fail to give you this, you may be entitled to compensation of one to three times the deposit.

Whichever scheme holds your money, you'll win disputes with evidence.