Is my landlord or agent doing things right? Your rights as a renter

A plain check for private renters in England since 1 May 2026: what you should have been given, what can and cannot be charged, how rent can rise, what must be safe, how a tenancy ends, and who to go to when something is wrong, from your landlord to the council, the tribunal and the ombudsman.

In short: Run down the list: a written statement of your tenancy terms (within 28 days of the start) and, for a tenancy that began before 1 May 2026, the government's information sheet by 31 May 2026; a deposit of at most five weeks' rent protected in a scheme within 30 days, with the scheme's details; no fees beyond rent, the deposit and a few set charges; no rent before signing and at most one month in advance; the gas safety record every year, an electrical report every five years, an EPC rated E or better, a smoke alarm on each floor; a rent rise only once a year on Form 4A with two months' notice, which you can challenge; no eviction without a ground, a notice and a court order. If something is missing, write to your landlord first, then the council; a tenant can claim back up to two years' rent for some offences.

For tenants The Renters’ Rights Act Safety certificates and the home Repairs and standards

England. Checked against the law on 30 October 2026. Information, not legal advice.

A written statement of the terms of your tenancy within 28 days of it starting (or by 28 days after 1 May 2026 for a tenancy that had no written agreement). Since 1 May 2026 every private tenancy in England is an assured periodic tenancy: no fixed term, no end date.
The government's information sheet about the changes, if your tenancy began before 1 May 2026: it was due by 31 May 2026.
Your deposit protected in one of the three government-backed schemes within 30 days of paying it, and the scheme's prescribed information. The deposit can be at most five weeks' rent (six where the rent is £50,000 a year or more).
The gas safety record (yearly, within 28 days of the check, and before you moved in), the electrical safety report (at least every five years), the EPC (rated E or better) and the How to rent guide.
A smoke alarm on every floor with living space and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a boiler, fire or stove (not a gas cooker), working on the day you moved in and repaired when you report them.

What can and cannot be charged

Rent, a refundable deposit, a holding deposit of at most one week's rent (returned or put towards the deposit), and a few set charges (a late-rent charge after 14 days at a capped rate, a lost key, a change you ask for, ending early at your request). Nothing else: no admin, referencing, inventory, check-out or renewal fees.
No rent before you sign, and at most one month's rent in advance once you have.
No bidding: the advert must say the rent, and the landlord cannot ask for, encourage or accept more.
You cannot be refused because you have children or receive benefits, and a request to keep a pet must be considered properly with a reason if refused.

How rent can rise

Only once a year, not in the first 12 months, by a Form 4A notice giving at least two months. If the new rent is above the market rent you can ask the First-tier Tribunal to decide before it starts; the tribunal cannot set it higher than the landlord asked, and the increase cannot be backdated. A rent-review clause in your agreement does not work any more.

Repairs and a safe home

Your landlord must keep the structure, the exterior and the water, gas, electricity, heating, hot water and sanitation in repair, and the home fit for human habitation: free of damp, mould, cold and other serious hazards. Report problems in writing and keep a copy. Awaab's Law (fixed deadlines to investigate and fix damp and mould) applies to social housing now and is in consultation for private lets until 18 December 2026, with no start date set; the repair and fitness duties apply today.

Ending a tenancy

You give two months' notice in writing, to end on a rent day; you keep paying until then. You and the landlord can agree a shorter notice in writing.
Your landlord needs a ground (a reason set by law), the right notice on the right form (usually four months, shorter for rent arrears or antisocial behaviour) and then a court order. Section 21 "no fault" evictions ended on 1 May 2026. The moving-in and selling grounds cannot be used in the first 12 months, and the home cannot be re-let for 12 months after.
Changing the locks, cutting off services or pressure to leave is illegal eviction or harassment: a crime, a civil penalty of up to £40,000 for the landlord, and a rent repayment order.
A landlord who has not protected your deposit, or has not registered on the PRS database once it opens, cannot get a possession order (except for antisocial behaviour).

If something is wrong

Write to your landlord or agent and say what is missing and by when you expect it. Keep every message.
Your council's private sector housing team can inspect, serve notices and fine a landlord: up to £7,000 for a first breach of the tenancy rules and up to £40,000 for an offence.
The First-tier Tribunal decides rent challenges and rent repayment orders: for offences such as an unlicensed HMO, illegal eviction or re-letting in a no-let period you can claim back up to two years' rent, within two years.
The landlord ombudsman for private renting is expected from 2028; until then the council and the tribunal are the routes, and a letting agent must already belong to a redress scheme you can complain to.
The court for repairs, fitness and the deposit penalty (one to three times the deposit).
Free advice: Shelter and Citizens Advice.

LevelMoves runs the same checks for you: start a tenant record, answer a few questions about what you were given, and it shows what is missing, what it means and the free route to put it right.

Where this comes from

Questions tenants ask

My landlord never protected my deposit. What can I do?

Ask in writing for proof of protection. If there is none, a court can order the deposit returned or protected and one to three times its amount paid to you, and the landlord cannot get a possession order while it stays unprotected.

Can my rent go up twice in a year?

No. Once a year, not in the first 12 months, by a Form 4A notice with two months' notice. You can challenge an above-market rise at the First-tier Tribunal before it starts.

Can I be evicted without a reason?

Not since 1 May 2026. The landlord needs a legal ground, a proper notice (usually four months) and a court order. Anything else is illegal eviction.

What is a rent repayment order?

A First-tier Tribunal order that the landlord repays rent, up to two years' worth for offences committed on or after 1 May 2026, such as letting an unlicensed HMO or illegal eviction. You apply within two years of the offence.

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