Landlord and Tenant Act 1985: Primary legislation governing landlord-tenant relationships in England and Wales. Defines fundamental rights and obligations regarding deposits and sets out basic requirements for handling security deposits in tenancy agreements.

Housing Act 2004: Legislation requiring residential tenancy deposits to be protected in an authorized scheme and establishing timeframes for deposit returns. Contains key provisions for deposit protection and dispute resolution.

Tenant Fees Act 2019: Recent legislation that regulates permissible deposit amounts and fees in residential tenancies. Sets specific caps on deposit amounts and restricts what can be taken as a deposit.

Consumer Rights Act 2015: Legislation protecting consumer rights in business-to-consumer relationships, including provisions about unfair contract terms and consumer protection in deposit arrangements.

Limitation Act 1980: Sets statutory time limits for making legal claims, generally allowing 6 years for contract-based claims including deposit refund requests.

Common Law Principles: Established legal principles from case law covering contract law, duty to mitigate losses, and reasonable deductions from deposits, forming part of the legal framework for deposit refunds.