DPS, TDS and MyDeposits: the three schemes compared
In England, landlords must protect tenancy deposits in one of three approved schemes (DPS, TDS or MyDeposits) within 30 days. This guide explains what each name means and how to check protection.
In England: landlords who take a money deposit for an assured shorthold tenancy must protect it in one of three government‑authorised deposit schemes and serve the prescribed information within 30 days.
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what is dps in tds
There is no product called "DPS in TDS" — DPS and TDS are separate, government‑approved tenancy deposit schemes and the phrase usually reflects a misuse of acronyms. Practically, people sometimes say "DPS in TDS" when they mean "a deposit protected in a tenancy deposit scheme" or when they confuse the two brand names; legally the Housing Act 2004 recognises three distinct authorised schemes (Deposit Protection Service, Tenancy Deposit Scheme and mydeposits), not a combined product.
what is dps
DPS usually means the Deposit Protection Service, one of the three government‑approved tenancy deposit protection schemes in England and Wales. DPS offers a custodial product (it holds the deposit for the tenancy) and an insured product (the landlord keeps the deposit and pays DPS for insurance cover); custodial protection with DPS is free to landlords, while the insured option involves a fee. Informally tenants may say "my DPS" to mean the scheme reference where their deposit is protected, but that is usage, not a separate legal category.
uk tenancy deposit protection schemes tds dps mydeposits
The three approved tenancy deposit schemes in England and Wales are Deposit Protection Service (DPS), Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) and mydeposits; all satisfy Housing Act 2004 ss.212–215 requirements. Any landlord who takes a monetary deposit for an AST must protect it in one of those three schemes and serve the prescribed information within 30 days of receipt; failure to do so lets a tenant claim compensation of between one and three times the deposit and prevents a valid s.21 possession notice until the breach is remedied.
is dps expensive
DPS custodial protection is not expensive because the custodial product is free to landlords; DPS funds custodial operations from interest on pooled deposits. DPS’s insured product does carry a fee because the landlord retains the deposit and buys insurance‑backed protection, but DPS does not publish a universal public tariff for the insured option — landlords must obtain a quote or view prices after logging into DPS or contacting them directly.
what is tds insured
TDS Insured is the Tenancy Deposit Scheme’s insurance‑based product in which the landlord or agent keeps the tenant’s deposit and pays TDS a premium so the deposit is treated as protected under the Housing Act 2004. Once registered and paid for, TDS Insured gives the tenant access to TDS’s adjudication service at tenancy end; the statutory duties (protect within 30 days, serve prescribed information) still apply and TDS’s insured product does not generally publish a single public price list — pricing is provided through TDS channels.
what does tds insured mean
TDS Insured means the deposit remains in the landlord’s or agent’s account while TDS provides insurance cover so the tenancy is legally compliant; operationally it means the landlord must register the deposit with TDS and serve the prescribed information within 30 days, keep the insurance/policy in force for the tenancy, and use TDS’s dispute resolution if the parties cannot agree on deductions. If the deposit is not properly protected or the prescribed information not served, tenants can seek 1–3× compensation in the county court and a landlord cannot rely on a s.21 notice.
is my deposit protected tds
You can check whether your deposit is protected with TDS by asking the landlord for the TDS confirmation/reference or by using scheme verification tools (TDS’s online check with tenancy start date, deposit amount and surname); a valid TDS protection will come with a certificate or reference and prescribed‑information details. If the deposit isn’t protected correctly within 30 days the tenant may recover 1–3× the deposit and the landlord cannot serve a valid s.21 until the issue is fixed or a court orders otherwise — see our guide on resolving deposit disputes for next steps.
Last reviewed August 2026.
