"There is a common assumption that tenants rarely get their deposits back, or that the system is too slow to resolve disputes. The data shows the opposite"
- Eddie Hooker - mydeposits
Most tenants in England and Wales receive all or part of their deposit back at the end of a tenancy, according to new figures from mydeposits, a government-authorised tenancy deposit protection scheme powered by Total Property.
The statistics, compiled in part with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and reported every six months across all three government-backed schemes, provide an updated view of how deposits are returned.
In the insurance-backed scheme, 90% of tenants get all or part of their deposit back. In the custodial scheme, the figure is over 80%. Landlords receive 100% of the claimed deposit less than 20% of the time, and in only 7% of insurance scheme disputes. These results challenge the perception that landlords frequently withhold deposits unfairly.
mydeposits operates a free alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process to ensure fair outcomes, even if one party does not take part. If a tenant raises a formal dispute, the landlord must respond or choose to go to court. If the landlord fails to engage, the case is decided based on the tenant’s evidence, and payment is made accordingly.
July 2025, a peak period for tenancy changeovers, saw custodial scheme disputes resolved in an average of 15 days, including 10 days for adjudication and five for case assessment. From May to July 2025, the average was 21 days, with 13 days for adjudication and seven for assessment.
In the insurance scheme, the process takes longer. In July 2025, the average was 55 days (41 days for assessment and 14 for adjudication), while from May to July 2025 the average was 59 days, including 43 for assessment and 16 for adjudication. mydeposits is continuing to review processes to improve turnaround times in both schemes.
Eddie Hooker, CEO of mydeposits (pictured), said: “There is a common assumption that tenants rarely get their deposits back, or that the system is too slow to resolve disputes. The data shows the opposite. Most tenants receive all or part of their deposit, and our custodial resolution process is delivering decisions within days. Where there is no dispute, or only a portion of the deposit is in question, we make sure the rest is returned as quickly as possible. Our focus is on fairness, efficiency and trust.”
