Deposits: how-to

Step-by-step instructions for every deposit task, in the order they usually happen. For what each option means, see Deposits; for problems, see Deposits: troubleshooting.

Find your task

If you’re here because…	Go to
You’re setting up deposits for the first time	Set up Deposits
You want to register deposits with TDS through COHO	Connect TDS
An Action says Register deposit for [tenant]	Register a deposit with TDS, or Record a deposit you protect yourself
An Action says TDS Deposit To Be Paid	Register a deposit with TDS, step 6
You registered a deposit on the TDS website	Link a deposit you registered on the TDS website
An Action says Complete deposit management for [tenant]	Move a deposit to its next stage
An Action says Deposit management information for [tenant]	Record a deposit you protect yourself, or Ignore a deposit you manage elsewhere
You need the tenants to sign the prescribed information	Ask tenants to sign the deposit documents
A tenancy has ended	Return a deposit at the end of a tenancy
An Action says Return deposit for [tenant]	Return a deposit, step 3
You have lots of deposits to update	Update many deposits at once
You want to register many deposits on TDS in one go	Create a TDS bulk import file
You closed a deposit too early or got the amount wrong	Re-open a closed deposit
The deposit details are wrong	Correct or remove a deposit record
You need a report of deposits held	Export deposits

Set up Deposits

Do this once, before your first deposit.

Before you start: you need edit permission for Deposits.

1. Check each property’s tenancies have the right Tenant money held (for example Deposit protection scheme) and deposit amount. You set these when you start an onboarding, or with Edit under the tenant’s name on the room page.
2. Look in your Actions for Configure Deposit Management, open it and accept the terms. Until you do, the Deposit Management panel asks for the terms and no deposit Actions are created.
3. If a property’s tenancies don’t show a Deposit Management panel, open the property, scroll to its services (switched-off services are listed under Inactive services), open Deposit Management, set it to Manual and save.
4. If you’ll use TDS through COHO, connect TDS.

What happens next: existing tenancies with a deposit appear on Menu > Deposits under Pending > Info required, and COHO starts creating Actions for deposits that need registering.

Tip

Tenancies that started long ago and whose deposits you dealt with outside COHO will raise Deposit management information for [tenant] Actions. Use Ignore to clear them in bulk.

Connect TDS

Do this before registering your first deposit with TDS through COHO.

Before you start: you need permission to manage integrations. Check each property’s ownership type (owned or managed) on the property.

1. From your dashboard, click Menu > Deposits, then the settings cog.
2. Open TDS - Deposit Registration.
3. Choose how you’ll use TDS:
   • As a landlord, for properties you own: you don’t need to do anything more. COHO creates your branch under its TDS head office the first time you register a deposit, when you click Create branch on We will create a branch. Only someone with permission to manage integrations sees that button.
   • As an agent, for properties you manage: you need API credentials from TDS. If you don’t have them, email TDS’s API enquiries address shown on screen, or create a TDS account first.
4. As an agent, click Add TDS account and enter an Account name, your Member Id, Branch Id and Api Key, and the Region (EW for England and Wales, NI for Northern Ireland). Click Submit.

What happens next: the account appears in the settings with its details. You can add more than one account; you’ll then pick one when registering.

Create a TDS login for deposits registered as a landlord

Deposits registered As a landlord sit in a branch under COHO’s TDS head office, not in a TDS account of your own. To see them on the TDS website:

1. Register your first deposit through COHO.
2. Open the Deposits settings cog, then TDS - Deposit Registration.
3. On the head office branch, click Create user, enter First name, Last name, Email and Telephone mobile, and click Create.

What happens next: TDS sends the user their login details for the TDS website.

Caution

Use an email address that isn’t already registered with TDS. If it is, COHO shows “User with email … already exists in the branch.” or TDS rejects it.

Register a deposit with TDS

Do this when the tenant has paid the deposit, to protect it with TDS’s custodial scheme. The law gives you 30 days from receiving it.

Before you start:

• the tenancy’s Tenant money held is Deposit protection scheme;
• the property has its ownership type set. A managed property needs an owner with a full address;
• your organisation has a registered office address, public telephone number and public email address;
• as an agent, your TDS account is connected (see Connect TDS).

1. Open the room page, select the tenancy, and open the Deposit Management panel. (Or open the Register deposit for [tenant] Action.)
2. In the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) block, click Register deposit. If COHO lists missing information, fix it and click Reload or Check again.
3. On Review & Register, choose the TDS account if you have more than one. Check the Property step: Room name, House number or name, Street, Town, Area, Postcode, the tenancy dates, rent, deposit amounts and Deposit received date. Click Edit to change anything, including Deposit amount to protect, then Next. Under Tenancy, COHO also shows “Rent book shows £… received as deposit.” If that doesn’t match the amount you’re about to protect, COHO warns you. Check before registering: a deposit paid outside COHO can still be right.
4. Check the People step: each tenant’s Fullname, Email and Mobile, and the Primary Landlord. The lead tenant is listed first.
5. Click Register Deposit. COHO shows “We’ve sent your deposit information to TDS and are waiting for a response. This can take up to 30 minutes, please check back later.”
6. When the deposit reference appears (“Your deposit reference is: [DAN]”), pay the deposit to TDS by bank transfer using the bank details shown, with the DAN as the reference.
7. Click Mark As Paid.

What happens next: TDS usually confirms the payment within a few working days. COHO checks every hour; when TDS shows Deposit Held, COHO adds the Deposit Protection Certificate, the prescribed information and the TDS leaflet to the deposit, marks it Completed, serves the documents to the tenants and raises a TDS Certificate Received Action. If nothing has arrived 7 days after you marked it paid, you get a TDS Deposit Paid But No Certificate Action.

Note

Mark As Paid only records the date in COHO. It doesn’t tell TDS you’ve paid. TDS confirms when the money reaches them.

If you change the amount to protect, COHO sends the new amount to TDS. By default it doesn’t change anything else in COHO. Tick Also update the deposit amount on this tenancy in COHO to change the tenancy’s deposit amount too, or Also update the amount on the active deposit record (shown when the tenancy has one) to change the deposit record.

If registration fails, COHO shows “Deposit creation failed” and the reason. Fix the detail and click Retry Deposit Registration. See troubleshooting.

To stop a registration, click Cancel process (before TDS holds the deposit). Then delete the registration on the TDS website too: COHO doesn’t cancel it there.

Link a deposit you registered on the TDS website

Do this if you protected a custodial TDS deposit directly on the TDS website, and want COHO to follow it.

Before you start: the TDS account it’s in must be connected in COHO (see Connect TDS).

1. Open the tenancy’s Deposit Management panel and click Add (or Edit).
2. Choose Type Deposit Protection Scheme, Provider Tenancy Deposit Scheme and Protection type Custodial.
3. Click Add scheme reference and enter the DAN, starting “EW”.
4. Choose the Process stage and its date, and click Save.

What happens next: COHO looks for the DAN in your connected TDS accounts straight away, and again each night. Once linked, the TDS block shows its status, and COHO fetches the certificate and prescribed information when TDS holds the deposit.

Record a deposit you protect yourself

Do this for deposits with any other scheme (for example DPS or mydeposits), insured deposits, deposit replacement schemes, lodger deposits and “other” deposits.

Before you start: you need edit permission for Deposits. To record money received, you also need permission to confirm deposits on the rent schedule.

1. Open the tenancy’s Deposit Management panel and click Add, or click View > Provide info on the Deposits panel.
2. Choose the Type. For a protection scheme, choose the Provider and Protection type (Custodial or Insured).
3. Check the Deposit amount (or the Coverage amount for a replacement scheme).
4. Choose the Process stage you’ve reached and enter its date:
   • Just starting: nothing has happened yet;
   • Money received: the tenant has paid you. Leave Create a payment record of £… ticked to mark the deposit paid on the rent schedule, or untick it if you’ll match the payment from your bank;
   • Money sent: you’ve paid a custodial scheme;
   • Complete: the deposit is protected.
5. Optionally click Add scheme reference and enter the scheme’s reference, and Add notes.
6. If it’s Complete, add the certificate and prescribed information under Files > Public files. Tick Serve by email to tenants to email them as well.
7. Click Save.

What happens next: the deposit moves to the matching list on the Deposits panel. When it’s complete, tenants who have joined COHO can see it and its public files.

Move a deposit to its next stage

Do this as the deposit progresses: the tenant pays, you pay the scheme, it’s protected.

1. Click Menu > Deposits, find the deposit (use Pending and its sub-cards, or Search), and click View.
2. Under What next?, click the step:
   • Received: enter Date received. COHO marks an unpaid deposit charge on the rent schedule as paid;
   • Transferred: enter Date transferred and, optionally, the Scheme reference;
   • Complete: opens Manage deposit at the Complete stage. Enter the Completion date, add the public files and click Save.
3. Click Save.

What happens next: the deposit moves to the next sub-card, or to Active once complete. The Complete deposit management Action closes itself.

Ask tenants to sign the deposit documents

Do this to get each tenant’s signature on the prescribed information and other deposit documents.

Before you start: the deposit has public files, and every active tenant on the tenancy has joined COHO.

1. Open the tenancy’s Deposit Management panel and find Signature process.
2. Click Require documents signature.
3. Wait for the tenants to sign. The panel shows “Waiting for [n] tenant signature(s).” Click Resend to email anyone who hasn’t signed.
4. When everyone has signed, you get an Action. Check each signature, then click Accept signature (or Accept signatures).

What happens next: the panel shows “Reviewed by manager on [date]”, and COHO stores a signed copy of the prescribed information and a signature receipt with the deposit.

Tip

To start again, click Cancel. This deletes the signatures collected so far. Editing a signed document also voids its signature.

Return a deposit at the end of a tenancy

Do this once the tenancy has ended and you’ve agreed how much goes back to the tenant.

Before you start: the tenancy needs a move-out date that has passed. To close the deposit, you also need permission to confirm deposits on the rent schedule.

If TDS holds the deposit through COHO

1. Open the tenancy’s Deposit Management panel (or the deposit under Closing on the Deposits panel) and click Request Repayment.
2. On Repayment Request, enter the Tenant repayment, and choose Tenant repayment type: Lead (all to the lead tenant) or Split (equally between tenants).
3. Choose Deductions: No to repay in full, or Yes and split the amount you’re claiming between Cleaning, Rent arrears, Damage, Redecoration, Gardening and Other (with Other text).
4. Click Submit.

What happens next: TDS handles the repayment from here, including any dispute over deductions. COHO records the repayment request and moves the deposit to Agreement reached. Click Get latest status to see TDS’s progress; COHO doesn’t check automatically once a deposit is held. When TDS has paid out, close the deposit.

Caution

The tenant repayment plus deductions must equal the protected amount. You can’t claim more than TDS holds; for that, contact TDS directly.

For any other deposit

1. Click Menu > Deposits > Closing > Under review, and click View on the deposit.
2. Click Agreement reached. Enter the Date agreed, and optionally the Return amount and Notes. COHO sets Repayment due by to 10 days later; click Change to alter it. Click Save.
3. Return the money to the tenant (and to the scheme’s process, if it holds the money).
4. Close the deposit.

What happens next: after step 2 you get a Return deposit for [tenant] Action, due on the Repayment due by date. If that date passes before you close it, the deposit moves to Overdue.

Close the deposit

1. On the deposit (or the Return deposit Action), click Close. Finish process opens.
2. Enter the Return date and Amount returned (for a replacement scheme, just Claim notes).
3. Decide about the rent schedule (shown only if the deposit is paid on it):
   • tick Also update the deposit rent record to match this return if you haven’t recorded the deductions anywhere else. COHO refunds the deposit charge, or keeps the difference as Deposit kept;
   • leave it unticked if you’ve already added the deductions as separate charges, such as a cleaning fee.
4. Add Return notes if you like, and click Save.

What happens next: the deposit moves to Closed (turn on the Closed switch to see it), with its Outcome, and the Action closes.

Note

If you Refund the deposit or Keep all or part of the Deposit in Rent Collection instead, COHO closes the deposit for you.

Update many deposits at once

Do this to move a batch of deposits along, for example a whole intake.

1. Click Menu > Deposits, then Pending (or Closing) and the sub-card you want.
2. Click Multi-select and tick the deposits.
3. Click the action. Only actions that suit every ticked deposit appear:
   • Money received: enter Date received. Unpaid deposit charges on the rent schedule are marked paid;
   • Money sent: enter Date transferred (custodial deposits);
   • Mark as completed: enter Date completed;
   • Close (Closing): enter Date closed and optional Closing notes, and choose whether to tick Also update deposit rent records to match amounts returned.
4. Optionally click To easily find this group later, tag these deposits. and enter a Tag.
5. Click Save.

What happens next: the deposits move to their new list. Deposits with nothing recorded yet get a record created for them. Filter by the tag to find the batch again.

Caution

Bulk Close uses the return amount already recorded on each deposit (from Agreement reached or a TDS repayment request). Close deposits one at a time if you haven’t recorded the amounts.

Create a TDS bulk import file

Do this to register many custodial deposits on the TDS website in one upload, instead of one by one.

1. Click Menu > Deposits > Pending, then Multi-select.
2. Tick the deposits. They must be deposit protection scheme deposits, with TDS or no scheme chosen, not already registered with TDS through COHO and not completed.
3. Click TDS bulk import CSV, read the message, and click Generate CSV.
4. Check the file, then upload it on the TDS website.

What happens next: COHO tags the deposits with the date. To have COHO follow them, add each deposit’s DAN as its scheme reference afterwards (see Link a deposit you registered on the TDS website).

Ignore a deposit you manage elsewhere

Do this for deposits you don’t want to track in COHO, such as old tenancies dealt with before you joined.

1. Click Menu > Deposits > Pending > Info required.
2. For one deposit, click View > Ignore. For several, click Multi-select, tick them, click Ignore and confirm.

What happens next: the deposits disappear from every list and their Actions close. The tenancy’s panel says the deposit was marked as already managed. To track it after all, click Register info on the panel.

Re-open a closed deposit

1. Click Menu > Deposits and turn on the Closed switch.
2. Click View on the deposit, then Re-open.

What happens next: the deposit returns to Closing. Close it again with the right details. Re-opening doesn’t change anything on the rent schedule.

Correct or remove a deposit record

1. Open the tenancy’s Deposit Management panel, or the deposit on the Deposits panel.
2. Click Edit, correct the details, and click Save. Or click Remove and confirm.

What happens next: an edit saves a new version; the old one is kept under Past Deposit Information. Removing it sends the deposit back to Info required.

Caution

Editing the tenancy’s deposit type or amount (with Edit under the tenant’s name) also changes the deposit record. Changing Tenant money held to None removes it.

Export deposits

1. Click Menu > Deposits and choose the list (for example Active), and any filters.
2. Click Export (CSV). To export only some, click Multi-select, tick them and click Export selected (CSV).

What happens next: the file downloads with the property, room, tenant, amount, type, status, completion, repayment and closing dates, amount returned, scheme and protection type.

Tip

The export lists deposit records. For every tenancy’s deposit amount, including tenancies not tracked here, click Export Tenancies (CSV) on the Occupancy panel.