You don’t have to ask for a tenancy deposit, but it can give extra security. If you take a deposit, you must protect it in a deposit protection scheme.
You must protect a tenancy deposit in a deposit protection scheme. If you don't protect your tenant's deposit, this is an offence. You can be fined three times the deposit amount.
If you have more than one tenant on the same tenancy agreement, this is a joint tenancy. You need to say who the lead tenant is when you protect the tenancy deposit.
You and your tenants may not always agree on how to deal with the deposit when the tenancy ends. Following some basic steps can help to resolve disputes quickly.