If you are a tenant in Wales and your landlord failed to protect your deposit correctly, you may be wondering if you can claim compensation, and looking for answers and help.
You’ve come to the right place.
At PR Scully, our expert solicitors help tenants like you across Wales — from Cardiff and Swansea to Bangor and Wrexham — make tenancy deposit claims.
Landlords in Wales are legally bound to place your tenancy deposit in a government backed scheme to protect it.
If they have not done that within 30 days, or they have failed to provide you with ‘prescribed information’ about the scheme, you could have a compensation claim.
At PR Scully, we act for tenants on a no-win, no-fee basis.
There are no up-front costs and if we do not recover compensation for you, you pay nothing.
We recover over £6 million in compensation for our clients each year.
This success is built on our unwavering dedication to securing the full compensation our clients deserve – and we want to do the same for you.
Contact us online, call 0161 768 3174, or e-mail info@prscully.com if you need to find a tenancy deposit solicitor in Wales to start your tenancy deposit claim today.
We offer free consultations and can advise you early on whether you have a valid claim.
Tenancy deposit protection solicitors and the law
This article explains your landlord’s legal obligations under Welsh law, and how a solicitor can help you if you have a claim. The laws around protecting tenants’ deposits apply to the private rented sector.
Find out how to tell if you may have a claim, how much compensation you could receive, and what the process of making a claim will look like.
The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016
If you rent a home in north Wales, your tenancy will most likely be a ‘standard occupation contract’ under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, rather than an Assured Shorthold Tenancy.
Any deposit you pay must still be protected in one of the government-approved schemes, and you must be given written ‘prescribed information’ confirming where and how it is held.
Landlords’ obligations to tenants
Landlords must protect a tenant’s deposit and provide prescribed information within 30 days of receiving the deposit. If they don’t, you can claim compensation of one to three times the deposit amount under Schedule 5 of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.
What do solicitors do for tenants in Wales?
If you believe your landlord in Wales has not protected your deposit, or has failed to provide prescribed information about it, get in touch with us.
You can request a call back for free advice on your claim from PR Scully solicitors.
One of our legal experts in landlord and tenant laws in Wales will listen to your case and quickly advise if you may have a claim. We will then:
- Guide you through the compensation claim process.
- Notify the landlord and ask for an offer of compensation.
- Negotiate on the offer where relevant.
- Advise on next steps, including pursuing the matter in court.
Tenancy deposit claims Wales: No Win, No Fee explained
What does it mean to be pursuing a tenancy deposit scheme compensation claim on a No Win No Fee basis with a solicitor?
Put simply, here are three ways No Win No Fee service like the one we offer at PR Scully is helpful:
- There are no legal costs upfront.
- You only pay if you win.
- There is no financial risk to you.
The important thing to bear in mind is that as your solicitor if we do not recover compensation on your behalf, you are not obliged to pay anything. If we recover compensation on your behalf, our fee is capped at 25% of the amount awarded..
For private renters on a low income, this can make the difference between not making a claim, and securing the compensation that you deserve.
Will I have to pay my landlord’s legal costs?
To avoid legal costs, we always advise the client to take out a Legal Expenses Policy to cover the risk of having to pay any of your landlord’s costs if, for any reason, the litigation is unsuccessful.
The cost of the premium is £134.40 (including the cost of Insurance Premium Tax). The premium only becomes payable after your case and if you recover compensation.
If we do not recover compensation before or after proceedings are taken, the premium is not due for payment.
Will I have to pay court fees?
If an offer of settlement is made, we will discuss with you whether you are likely to recover significantly more if you take the matter to a law Court.
Then, you can make an informed decision about whether the initial offer is acceptable.
Often, we will negotiate an increased offer with the landlord without having to issue Court proceedings. One of the benefits of having a solicitor dealing with your tenancy deposit claim is that we are professionals at negotiating the best possible outcome for our clients.
Did my landlord fail to protect my deposit?
If you think your landlord has failed in their legal obligations to you, here is a quick checklist you can run through before contacting our legal team.
Within 30 days of receiving your deposit, did your landlord:
- Protect it with one of the three government-approved tenancy deposit protection schemes (see below)?
- Give you written prescribed information about how it is protected?
If not, you may be entitled to make a tenancy deposit compensation claim.
What are the three government-approved schemes operating in Wales?
- The Deposit Protection Service (DPS) – Find out more
- MyDeposits – Find out more
- Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) – Find out more
Do I have a valid compensation claim?
You may be wondering whether you should engage a solicitor about compensation for a tenancy deposit scheme claim in Wales.
It’s worth getting expert legal advice from the specialists at PR Scully dealing with landlords and tenant law if any of the following occurred:
- Your deposit was never protected in an approved scheme.
- You didn’t receive the prescribed information.
- Your landlord didn’t return your deposit after the tenancy ended.
- Money was unlawfully deducted from your deposit.
Contact PR Scully to discuss how much compensation you could be owed.
We handle compensation claims by tenants in Wales related to deposit protection schemes.
PR Scully can also help tenants claim on other issues around tenancy deposits too. This includes unfair or unlawful deductions, and failure to return the deposit at the end the tenancy.
Can I check if my deposit is protected?
Yes, you can contact any of the three schemes listed above directly to check whether it is protected. You will need to provide the following information.
- The property postcode.
- Your surname.
- The tenancy start date.
- The deposit amount.
You should also have been given by your landlord or letting agents written confirmation of the following:
- The deposit amount.
- The property address.
- How deductions and disputes are handled.
- What happens if your landlord doesn’t respond when the tenancy ends.
The landlord failed in their legal duties if they did not provide this information within 30 days of the deposit payment, and you may be entitled to a claim.
How much could my deposit protection scheme claim be worth?
Compensation for tenancy deposit claims in Wales is generally between one and three times the deposit. The exact figure depends on the breach itself as well as your landlord’s conduct. Here are three types of breaches, with varying compensation levels.
Original deposit not protected
If your deposit was never protected, we will typically seek three times the deposit amount. For example, on a £1,000 deposit, we would ask for £3,000 in compensation, plus legal costs.
Missing the 30-day window / no prescribed information
If your landlord protected the deposit late, or protected it but didn’t send the prescribed information in time, you are still entitled to compensation — usually between one and 1.5 times the deposit.
Multiple breaches
Where a deposit was never protected and the landlord has breached the rules across more than one tenancy, we can seek compensation of up to three times the deposit for each individual breach.
How to dispute a tenancy deposit with a solicitor
Whether you’re renting in Wrexham, Bangor, Colwyn Bay, or anywhere else in north Wales, the process is the same. Follow these three steps to work with a firm of solicitors like PR Scully and seek the compensation that you deserve.
- Gather your information: your tenancy agreement, deposit scheme details, bank statements and any correspondence with your landlord so you can provide evidence.
- Contact PR Scully: We’ll review your agreement and check whether your deposit was protected correctly.
- Claim your compensation: We handle the legal work and negotiate on your behalf, representing you in court if needed.
How does a solicitor recover compensation?
Once PR Scully’s solicitors have collected all relevant information from you and are satisfied that you have a valid claim against the landlord, we notify the landlord in writing of the situation and ask them to make an offer of compensation.
Letters before action can resolve deposit disputes without going to court. Generally, in cases like these, the landlord makes a reasonable offer and we can reach an agreement before proceedings are issued.
If an offer of settlement is made, we will discuss with you whether you are likely to recover significantly more if you take the matter to a court hearing. Then, you can make an informed decision about whether the initial offer is acceptable.
Often, we will negotiate an increased offer with the landlord without having to issue court proceedings or attend court.
We ensure that our clients get the compensation they deserve. You can read about a recent successful enforcement against a landlord who broke the law. It shows how seriously we take our role as tenancy solicitors. We always follow through so our clients receive the justice and compensation that they deserve.
Start your tenancy deposit claim today
Don’t let your landlord get away with failing to protect your deposit. If you’ve paid a deposit on a property in Wales and believe it was mishandled, contact PR Scully legal firm today for assistance with tenancy deposit disputes and claims.
Areas we cover in Wales
We handle tenancy deposit claims for tenants throughout Wales, including Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Wrexham, St Davids, Bangor, Bridgend, Barry, Llandudno, Aberystwyth, Caerphilly, Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn, Mold, Merthyr Tydfil, Carmarthen, Caernarfon, Pontypridd and Holyhead.
Tenancy Deposit Claims Wales: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Wales uses ‘occupation contracts’ under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, while England’s tenancies are governed by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Both nations, however, use the same three approved deposit schemes and apply the same 30-day protection rule.
No. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 applies to England only. Tenants in Wales are instead protected under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, which uses different terminology – such as ‘occupation contracts’ and ‘contract-holders’ – but provides broadly similar deposit protections.
The Deposit Protection Service (DPS), MyDeposits, and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). Two are custodial schemes, where the scheme holds your money directly, and one is insurance-backed, where your landlord holds the deposit but pays to insure it.
No. Unlike England, where deposits are capped at five or six weeks’ rent, there is currently no statutory cap on tenancy deposits in Wales.
This depends on your landlord’s response and whether court action is needed, but most claims resolve within three to four months of the initial letter.
You generally have six years from the date your landlord should have returned your deposit to bring a claim for breach of contract.
- Insist your landlord registers the deposit immediately.
- Get written confirmation of deposit protection within 30 days
- Create a detailed move-in inventory with photographs of any existing damage