Deposit rules
A deposit is capped, must be protected in a scheme within 30 days, and has to be returned within 10 days of agreeing the amount.
How much can be taken
The cap is set in weeks of rent, not a round number, so it moves with the rent you actually pay.
Where it has to sit
In a government-approved scheme. Holding it in a personal account is the single most common breach.
Getting it back
Agree the amount first; the clock only starts once both sides agree.
Read next: the inventory, notice periods.