At the end of the tenancy

Deposit Protection Service > How to use our service > At the end of the tenancy

The repayment process

Before starting the repayment process, have you:

Once you've completed the check-out and determined whether to make a claim, you can start the online repayment process. It's a good idea to discuss this with the tenant before you start the online process. This greatly reduces the chance you'll get into a dispute later. If you do submit a claim, we'll ask you to confirm you've discussed the claim with the tenant.

Choose the repayment process for the scheme you've protected the deposit with:

Custodial repayment process:

When you're ready to start the repayment process, select the relevant tenancy in your online account and choose the repayment option you need.

If you intend to pay the full deposit back to the tenant:

• Select “Return full deposit”.
• We'll contact the tenant and ask them to provide bank details for us to pay them.

If you want to retain some of the deposit:

• Select “Make a claim against the deposit”.
• You'll be asked to specify how much you want to retain. Please ensure you enter the full value that you want to claim.
• We'll contact the tenant with the details of your claim and ask them to respond.
• If the tenant agrees with your claim, we repay the funds as requested.
• If the tenant disagrees with your claim, we'll contact you with instructions on what to do next.
• This can involve some negotiation before coming to an agreed upon value with your tenant.
• If you can't agree on an amount with your tenant, our free Dispute Resolution Service can help resolve the dispute.

Insured repayment process:

As you hold the deposit, you're responsible for agreeing any deductions with your tenant and repaying any money due to them. Once you've repaid the deposit you can close it in your online account. To do this:

1. Log into your online account and select the relevant tenancy.
2. Select ‘Close' and add the deposit closure date.
3. Accept the closure.

If your tenant is unhappy with the amount of deposit you retain, they can still decide to raise a dispute.