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TDS — one-click deposit protection

Protect deposits with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme via API and store the certificate automatically.

What this does

When you create a tenancy with a deposit, a Protect with TDS button appears. One click → we call the TDS API → the deposit is registered → the certificate number is stored against the tenancy.

You can still use the manual "deposit_scheme = tds" flag if you'd rather protect outside Letfold, but the integration removes a manual step.

Setup

  1. Become a TDS member if you aren't already (membership is required by law to use any deposit scheme).
  2. Request API access from the TDS member portal — they'll give you a member ID and an API key.
  3. In Letfold open Settings → Integrations → TDS.
  4. Paste in:
  • TDS member ID
  • API key
  • Use sandbox? — tick during testing, untick for production.
  1. Click Connect, then Test connection.

What gets pushed

On clicking Protect:

  • Deposit amount + tenancy start + end dates
  • Property address + postcode
  • Primary tenant name + email + phone

On success, the certificate number comes back and is stored on the tenancy's tds_certificate_number column. It's shown on the tenancy detail page and the move-in pack PDF.

Disconnecting

Wipes your TDS keys from our database. Existing certificates remain valid with TDS — we just stop being able to issue new ones.

Last updated 15 Sep 2026

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