Renting a home in the UK
Renting a home in England changed on 1 May 2026. Tenancies are now open-ended, a landlord cannot take more than one month's rent in advance or a deposit above five weeks' rent, and accepting offers above the advertised rent is illegal.
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- The advertised rent is fixed; a landlord or agent cannot accept an offer above it.
- A holding deposit reserves the property while checks are carried out.
- Referencing confirms income, identity and the previous landlord's account.
- The landlord checks the tenant's right to rent in the UK.
- The tenancy is signed, advance rent and deposit are paid, and keys are handed over.
Buying a property in the UK sits under one body of law; renting one sits under an entirely different body of law, and most people arriving in the country rent before they buy. This page covers the renting side. For the purchase side, see UK property ownership types.
01
How does renting a home in the UK work?
Renting runs through five steps: viewing a property, paying a holding deposit, passing referencing and a right to rent check, signing the tenancy and collecting the keys. Offering or accepting more than the advertised rent has been illegal since 1 May 2026.
Someone arriving from outside the UK has no domestic credit history, and referencing is where that shows. A guarantor is commonly requested in that situation, and where no guarantor is available a landlord can ask only for what the law permits — the caps below are the whole of it.
02
What type of tenancy agreement applies?
Tenancies in England are assured periodic tenancies. Fixed-term and shorthold tenancies were removed on 1 May 2026, so every private tenancy now rolls from month to month or week to week rather than running to a fixed end date.
| Point | Before 1 May 2026 | From 1 May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Tenancy type | Assured shorthold tenancy | Assured periodic tenancy |
| Term | Usually 6 or 12 months fixed | Open-ended, rolling |
| No-fault eviction | Available under Section 21 | Abolished |
| Rent in advance | No legal ceiling | One month's rent |
| Offers above the asking rent | Permitted | Illegal |
An open-ended tenancy does not tie a tenant to a fixed commitment. The assured periodic tenancy is now the only tenancy type available for lettings under the Housing Act 1988, and the parties cannot agree a different one.
03
How much rent in advance can a landlord ask for?
A landlord cannot require more than one month's rent in advance once the tenancy agreement is signed, or 28 days' rent where the rental period is shorter than a month. Before 1 May 2026 no legal ceiling existed.
Advance rent and the deposit are separate items under separate caps. The most a tenant pays on moving in is one month's rent in advance plus a deposit of at most five weeks' rent; a holding deposit already paid is set against that total.
04
What is the maximum deposit?
Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 the deposit ceiling is five weeks' rent where annual rent is below £50,000 and six weeks' rent where it reaches that figure. A holding deposit is capped at one week's rent.
| Item | Ceiling | When it is paid |
|---|---|---|
| Holding deposit | One week's rent | When the property is reserved |
| Deposit (annual rent under £50,000) | Five weeks' rent | At signing |
| Deposit (annual rent £50,000 or more) | Six weeks' rent | At signing |
| Rent in advance | One month's rent | After signing |
Charging anything outside these caps is prohibited. Fees for drawing up the agreement, referencing, inventories and renewals were abolished by the Tenant Fees Act 2019, and neither a landlord nor an agent can ask a tenant to pay them.
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05
How is the deposit protected and when is it returned?
A landlord must place the deposit in an authorised scheme within 30 days of receiving it; the three authorised schemes are the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. Repayment follows within 10 days of agreement.
- The deposit is not held in the landlord's own account; it goes into an authorised scheme.
- The protection window is 30 days from the day the deposit is received.
- The tenant learns from the landlord which scheme holds it.
- Where the amount is disputed, the scheme's free adjudication settles it.
- Once the amount is agreed, repayment follows within 10 days.
Failing to protect a deposit carries consequences for the landlord. A tenant can bring a claim over an unprotected deposit, and that is one of the few routes in a tenancy that a tenant can use directly without going through anyone else.
06
When can a landlord evict a tenant?
Section 21 no-fault eviction ended on 1 May 2026. A landlord now needs one of the grounds set out in law to end a tenancy, cannot serve notice without giving a reason, and cannot issue a new Section 21 notice at all.
The transitional period has closed. Where a Section 21 notice had been served before 1 May 2026, court proceedings had to be brought by 31 July 2026; after that date the Section 21 route ended entirely.
07
What does British Global do in the renting process?
British Global provides information and referral: it sets out the published rules, prepares a preliminary report on budget and area, and refers you to a regulated solicitor or a licensed agent where that is needed. It does not draft tenancy agreements.
- A preliminary report is prepared against area, budget and travel preferences.
- The document list for a tenancy, and the order it is needed in, is set out.
- Matters that call for legal assessment are referred to a regulated solicitor.
- Referrals are made for the administrative steps that follow a move.
Sources
- GOV.UK — The Renters' Rights Act protections took effect on 1 May 2026: rent in advance capped at one month, offers above the advertised rent banned, all tenancies periodic and Section 21 abolished.
- GOV.UK — The most common tenancy type in the private rented sector is an assured periodic tenancy.
- GOV.UK — A deposit is placed in an authorised scheme within 30 days of being received and returned within 10 days of the parties agreeing the amount; the authorised schemes are the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme.
- GOV.UK — The deposit ceiling is five weeks' rent where total annual rent is below £50,000 and six weeks' rent where it is £50,000 or more; a holding deposit is capped at one week's rent.
- GOV.UK — The Renters' Rights Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025; a landlord can require up to one month's rent in advance, or 28 days' rent where rental periods are shorter than a month.
