Tenancy Deposit Cap Calculator

Five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, and six weeks' rent where the annual rent is £50,000 or more. That cap comes from the Tenant Fees Act 2019 and applies in England. A week's rent is the annual rent divided by 52, so on £1,200 a month the annual rent is £14,400, a week is £276.92 and the five week cap is £1,384.61.

One week's rent. A holding deposit reserves the property while references and right to rent checks are done, and the default deadline for agreement is 15 days unless you agree a longer one in writing. Once the tenancy is signed, you decide not to proceed, or that deadline passes, it must be refunded within 7 days, or put towards the first rent or the tenancy deposit with the tenant's consent. You can only keep it in the limited cases the Act allows, such as the tenant giving false information or failing a right to rent check.

The excess is a prohibited payment. You must repay it, and until you do you generally cannot serve a valid possession notice that relies on the deposit being correctly handled. A council can also impose a financial penalty of up to £5,000 for a first breach. A repeat breach within five years of a previous penalty is a criminal offence, and can draw a penalty of up to £30,000 or prosecution with an unlimited fine, and it is a banning order offence.

They are separate caps, but the money is usually not. The holding deposit is capped at one week's rent on its own, and it is normally credited towards the tenancy deposit or the first month's rent once the tenancy goes ahead. What matters is that the final tenancy deposit you hold does not exceed five or six weeks' rent.

No. This calculator covers England. Wales has its own regime under the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019, and Scotland caps deposits at two months' rent under separate tenancy deposit rules. Check the rules for the country the property is in before you take anything.