LPSNI (Letting Protection Service Northern Ireland): What Happened and Where Deposits Went

What Was LPSNI

The Letting Protection Service Northern Ireland (LPSNI) was one of the original government-approved tenancy deposit scheme operators in Northern Ireland. Operated by Computershare Investor Services Plc, LPSNI accepted and managed deposit protections alongside TDS Northern Ireland and mydeposits Northern Ireland during the early years of mandatory deposit protection, which started on 1 April 2013 under the Tenancy Deposit Schemes Regulations (NI) 2012.

LPSNI is no longer operational and does not accept new deposit registrations. Landlords maintaining older historical records may encounter LPSNI references in previous tenancy documentation, but all active deposit protections in Northern Ireland are now handled exclusively through the two remaining approved operators.

The Two Active Schemes

TDS Northern Ireland (TDS NI): Operated by Tenancy Deposit Scheme Northern Ireland Limited, based at Innovation Factory, 385 Springfield Road, Belfast. Backed by RICS, Propertymark, and the Landlords Association of Northern Ireland (LANI). Offers both custodial (free) and insured (fee-based) schemes. Portal: tdsnorthernireland.com.

mydeposits Northern Ireland: Operated by HF Resolution Ltd / Hamilton Fraser. Offers both custodial and insured schemes. Portal: mydepositsni.co.uk.

These are the only two schemes approved by the Department for Communities. Any deposit protected elsewhere — or protected with a scheme that operates in England, Scotland, or Wales but not NI — does not satisfy Northern Ireland's statutory requirements.

What Happened to Deposits Held by LPSNI

LPSNI is a historical scheme and no longer accepts deposits. An old LPSNI certificate does not by itself establish whether protection remains active today; the current approved operators are TDS NI and mydeposits NI.

If you are a landlord whose paperwork references LPSNI, contact TDS NI and mydeposits NI to confirm whether the deposit is currently protected. If neither scheme can confirm an active record, protect the deposit through an approved scheme and serve the prescribed information.

For tenants who were told their deposit was with LPSNI, the same advice applies: search both active schemes. If the deposit is not found, raise the issue with the landlord in writing and contact your local council's Environmental Health team if the landlord does not resolve it.

Why This Matters Now

Tenancies that started before LPSNI stopped accepting deposits may still be running as periodic tenancies. An old LPSNI reference alone does not establish whether the deposit remains protected. If neither current operator can confirm protection, treat the deposit as unprotected and address it promptly; failure to protect or serve prescribed information is a continuing offence until remedied.

Long-running tenancies are the highest risk. A landlord who set up protection in 2014, forgot about it, and has been renewing the tenancy ever since may not realise the original scheme no longer exists. The deposit sat in limbo while the continuing offence clock ran.

If you confirm that the deposit is unprotected, protect it in TDS NI or mydeposits NI promptly and serve the prescribed information. Late protection stops the protection breach from continuing. The Tenancy Deposits in Northern Ireland guide walks through the re-protection process and includes a compliance timeline that helps long-tenancy landlords identify and close gaps like this.

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