All your Frequently Asked Questions about renting a house answered.
Quick answers to common questions about renting, referencing, deposits, and your tenancy.
This guidance applies to private renting in England.
Last legally reviewed: September 2026
Any changes or decoration should only be carried out with the landlord’s written permission. This includes painting walls, putting up shelves, changing flooring, or making alterations to fixtures and fittings.
Yes. Each adult occupier will normally need to complete a Right to Rent check before entering into the tenancy. Depending on your circumstances, this may involve a Home Office share code, an approved digital identity check or original documents permitted by Home Office guidance. A driving licence by itself will not normally establish a Right to Rent.
Once you have chosen a property, we will guide you through the application stage, request the required documents, carry out referencing and Right to Rent checks, and then arrange the tenancy agreement and move-in details if your application is successful.
Start by browsing our available properties and identifying homes that suit your location, size, and budget requirements. You can then contact us to arrange a viewing or discuss your needs with our team.
A guarantor is usually required to complete referencing checks and sign a guarantor agreement. They must normally show that they can meet the tenancy obligations if the tenant is unable to do so.
Any requirement for a guarantor will be based on consistently applied affordability criteria and will not be imposed simply because an applicant receives benefits or has children.
Referencing may include checks on identity, address and rental history, income and affordability. We apply consistent affordability criteria and consider all forms of income, including earnings, benefits and pensions, equally. Having children or receiving benefits will not itself disadvantage an application.
Please contact us as soon as possible if you are having difficulty paying rent. The earlier you let us know, the more quickly we may be able to discuss the situation and advise you on the next steps
Your tenancy agreement should state how much notice you must give. For an assured periodic tenancy created on or after 1 May 2026, the notice required cannot exceed two months. If no notice period is stated, you must give at least two months’ written notice. Your notice must normally end on a rent due date or the day before. We may agree a shorter notice period in writing. Different transitional provisions may apply if your tenancy began before 1 May 2026, so please contact us before giving notice.
A guarantor is someone who agrees to support the tenancy and may be responsible for rent or other obligations if the tenant is unable to meet them. They are often requested when affordability or circumstances require additional support.
A tenancy agreement records the legal terms agreed between the landlord and tenant, including the rent, deposit, responsibilities and notice arrangements. Most private tenancies in England are assured periodic tenancies that continue on a rolling basis without a fixed end date. Before a new tenancy is agreed, the landlord must provide the prescribed written information about its key terms.
If you pay a tenancy deposit for an assured periodic tenancy, it must be protected in a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme within 30 days. You must also receive the required deposit information. At the end of the tenancy, the agreed amount must normally be returned within 10 days. Any proposed deductions should be explained and supported by evidence. The deposit scheme provides a dispute-resolution service if agreement cannot be reached.
A Tenancy Deposit Scheme protects the tenant’s deposit during the tenancy and provides a process for resolving disputes if there is disagreement about deductions when the tenancy ends
Referencing helps confirm your identity, affordability, and rental background. It is an important part of the application process and helps landlords make informed decisions before a tenancy begins.
You can ask in writing for permission to keep a pet, including a description of the pet. The landlord must consider your request fairly and normally respond in writing within 28 days. Permission can only be refused for a fair reason, which must be explained. Please do not bring a pet into the property until permission has been granted.
No. Every advertised property has an asking rent. Rent UK Property will not ask for, encourage or accept an offer above that amount.
We will not ask for or accept rent before the tenancy agreement has been signed by all parties. After signing and before the tenancy starts, we may request the first month’s rent, or up to 28 days’ rent where rent is payable more frequently than monthly. Once the tenancy has started, rent is payable on the dates stated in the agreement.
For an assured periodic tenancy, rent can normally be increased only once in a 12-month period and cannot be increased during the first year. The landlord must use the statutory section 13 process and provide Form 4A with at least two months’ notice. You may challenge an increase that you believe exceeds the open-market rent.
No. We will not withhold property information, prevent a viewing or disadvantage an applicant because they receive benefits or have children. We may assess affordability, but the same criteria will be applied consistently and benefits, pensions and employment income will be treated equally.
Section 21 no-fault eviction notices can no longer be used for assured periodic tenancies. A landlord must rely on a valid legal possession ground, serve the appropriate section 8 notice and obtain a court order if the tenant does not leave.
Before a new tenancy is agreed, you will receive the prescribed information about its key terms. Tenants with qualifying written agreements dating from before 1 May 2026 should also have received the government’s Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026.
If your question is not covered here, get in touch and our team will be happy to help with your enquiry.
