Guides for renters

The nine changes that took effect on 1 May 2026, and what each means for a tenant.

A smaller payment that does not come back, and the liability that stays with you.

25% off if only one adult counts, and you do not have to live alone to qualify.

What your landlord’s policy will not replace, and why nobody can make you buy cover.

Energy, council tax, water and broadband for a rented home, and how to price a specific one.

Locked out or forced out without a court order: what to do now, and who to call.

One week’s rent, repaid within seven days unless one of four things happened.

Two months, in writing, ending on the right day — and what you still owe if you go early.

What replaced no fault eviction, what happened to fixed terms, and why an old notice is spent.

What the notice must say, how much notice each ground needs, and why it is not an eviction.

Ask in writing, an answer within 28 days, and what counts as a fair refusal.

An offer accepted, not a tenancy signed: the holding deposit rules and what happens next.

How rental scams work, the checks to make before you pay anything, and what to do if it happens.

How much rent a landlord can ask for upfront since 1 May 2026, the exceptions, and what to do if asked for more.

What referencing looks for, how CCJs and defaults count, guarantors, and what landlords cannot ask.

What the check-in inventory should record, how to correct it, and how it decides your deposit.

Every payment a landlord or agent can charge in England, the caps, and how to get a banned fee back.

Why there is no current government template, and what an agreement in England must include now.

When a shared house needs a licence, what it requires, and how to check.

Average rents and a renting guide for each major city: areas, costs and licensing.

Average rents and how fast they are rising in every council in England, updated monthly.

England’s landlord database: when it starts, what it records and what renters will see.

What you can find out about a landlord today, and what the database will add.

When landlord registration opens in each region, and the deadline.

What it means for you, and what you can do about it.

A national record of landlords, and a council permission for certain homes.

For landlords: the dates, the fee and what each entry must hold.

Six ways to find out who owns or lets a property in England.

What landlord registers exist in England, and how to search each.

How to check your deposit is protected, and what to do if it isn’t.

What a landlord gas safety record must cover, and when you get a copy.

When your landlord can put the rent up, the notice they must use, and how to challenge it.

25 questions for a viewing, about the rent, costs, landlord, repairs and tenancy.

Everything to do from the holding deposit to your first month in the home.

Who gets checked, how share codes work, and what to do if you can’t prove it yet.

Whether the tenant or landlord pays, and why shared houses are different.