We’re here with practical legal information for your business. Learn about employment law, company law and more.

Starting up

Setting up a business involves complying with a range of legal requirements. Find out which ones apply to you and your new enterprise.

What particular regulations do specific types of business (such as a hotel, or a printer, or a taxi firm) need to follow? We explain some of the key legal issues to consider for 200 types of business.

Business ownership and management

While poor governance can bring serious legal consequences, the law can also protect business owners and managers and help to prevent conflict.

Finance and business strategy

Whether you want to raise finance, join forces with someone else, buy or sell a business, it pays to be aware of the legal implications.

Employment law

From pay, hours and time off to discipline, grievance and hiring and firing employees, find out about your legal responsibilities as an employer.

Marketing and selling

Marketing matters. Marketing drives sales for businesses of all sizes by ensuring that customers think of their brand when they want to buy.

Contracts, disputes

Commercial disputes can prove time-consuming, stressful and expensive, but having robust legal agreements can help to prevent them from occurring.

Commercial premises law

Whether your business owns or rents premises, your legal liabilities can be substantial. Commercial property law is complex, but you can avoid common pitfalls.

Health and safety

With information and sound advice, living up to your legal responsibilities to safeguard your employees, customers and visitors need not be difficult or costly.

Data protection and IT

As information technology continues to evolve, legislation must also change. It affects everything from data protection and online selling to internet policies for employees.

Intellectual property

Intellectual property (IP) isn't solely relevant to larger businesses or those involved in developing innovative new products: all products have IP.

Exit strategies

Knowing how and when you plan to sell or relinquish control of your business can help you to make better decisions and achieve the best possible outcome.

Personal law

From bereavement, wills, inheritance, separation and divorce to selling a house, personal injury and traffic offences, learn more about your personal legal rights.

Tenancy Deposit Protection Schemes - the key facts

Almost all private landlords and letting agents (in England and Wales) who take a deposit under an assured shorthold tenancy agreement are required to protect those deposits in a government-approved deposit protection scheme. This list summarises the key facts about the changes in the law under the Localism Act

Tenancies that were already in place on 6 April 2012 had 30 days in which to comply with the new rules.
Landlords now have 30 days, instead of 14 days from receipt of the deposit to protect it in a scheme.
The re-wording and extension of this timeline also closed the loophole with regards to deposit protection deadlines that was highlighted by cases such as Universal Estates v Tiensia in 2010. This case showed how judges were allowing landlords to protect the deposit after the deadline and even days before the court hearing, without sanction.
If a deposit is not protected within 30 days, the tenant can take their landlord or letting agent to court for compensation. This is the case even if the deposit is protected a day or two late.
Landlords must now provide 'Prescribed Information' regarding the deposit to a tenant within 30 days of receipt of the deposit.
If a tenant makes an application to the county court once the tenancy has ended, the landlord will no longer be able to retrospectively protect the deposit in order to comply with the Act. If the tenancy has ended, the only option is for the landlord to repay the deposit to the tenant. This is the case even if the tenant owes you rent or the property is left in disrepair.
The changes give the courts discretion to award not less than the amount of the deposit and not more than three times that amount depending on the individual case - plus the return of the deposit. For example, a repeat offender may find themselves with a larger fine compared to a landlord who has simply forgotten to protect as an administrative oversight.

Further clarity to Section 215 of the Housing Act highlights that a section 21 notice may not be given where a deposit has not been protected within the 30 day period.

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