Renters' Rights Bill: time limit for returning a rental deposit changes to 10 days
The Bill rewrites deposit-return rules across England. Landlords will have 10 days from the end of a tenancy to repay, with automatic penalty interest if they miss it.
The Renters' Rights Bill, currently before Parliament, replaces the Housing Act 2004 deposit scheme with a streamlined framework. The headline change: the return window narrows from the previous "promptly" standard to a hard 10-day deadline, counted from the day the tenancy ends or the parties agree on deductions — whichever is later.
Landlords who miss the deadline will owe statutory interest on the outstanding amount at 8% per year, calculated daily. The existing three-times-deposit penalty for failing to protect a deposit in an approved scheme is retained.
The Bill also removes the requirement to re-protect a deposit when a fixed-term tenancy rolls onto a periodic tenancy — a rule that had generated significant litigation since Superstrike v Rodrigues (2013).
AreaHousing
TypeNew law
Published18 September 2026
StatusIn force / published
What this means in practice
This new law affects Housing matters in England & Wales.
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