Finding a home
OpenRent vs Zoopla: how to tell who you are really renting from
Zoopla only takes listings from letting agents, and OpenRent is one of them. So a home you find on Zoopla can still be let by a private landlord through OpenRent. The name of the advertiser tells you which, and what you need to check next.
England · Checked October 2026
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Check a property freePlain EnglishThe words on this page, explained
- Property portal
- A website that shows adverts for homes from lots of different agents, such as Rightmove or Zoopla. A portal does not let homes itself, does not show you round, and never holds your money. Think of it as a shop window.
- Letting agent (or “agent”)
- A business a landlord pays to rent out their home. Depending on what the landlord pays for, an agent may advertise the home, show you round, check your references, write the tenancy agreement and take your money. Some also manage the home after you move in, collecting rent and arranging repairs. High-street agents have offices and staff who deal with you. Online agents, such as OpenRent, do most of it through a website and leave more to the landlord.
- Private landlord
- Someone who owns a home and lets it out. When a guide says you are dealing with a private landlord, it means the landlord, not an agent, is the person you talk to, who shows you round and who you contact about problems.
- Complaints scheme (redress scheme)
- An independent service you can take a complaint about a letting agent to, free of charge, if the agent does not sort it out itself. Every letting agent in England must belong to one, and there are two: The Property Ombudsman and the Property Redress Scheme. An agent has to say which one it belongs to on its website and in its office. These schemes cover agents, not landlords. A complaints service for private landlords is planned but not yet running.
- Client money protection
- Cover that pays you back if a letting agent holding your rent or deposit goes out of business or loses the money. Any agent in England that holds tenants’ money must have it, and must show the certificate.
- Rent Now
- OpenRent’s name for applying for a home and paying through its website. You pay a holding deposit by debit card, OpenRent checks your references for free, everyone signs the tenancy agreement online, and you pay the deposit and first month’s rent to OpenRent, which passes the rent on to the landlord. It only applies if the landlord chooses to use it.
- Holding deposit
- Money you pay to take a home off the market while your application is checked. In England it can be no more than one week’s rent, and it must be returned or put towards your rent or deposit, except in a few cases, such as you pulling out.
- Referencing
- Checks a landlord or agent runs before accepting you: usually your identity, income or job, and how you have paid rent before. In England you cannot be charged for them.
- Deposit protection
- The main deposit you pay as a tenant must be held by one of three government-approved schemes (DPS, mydeposits or TDS), not kept by the landlord. It means you get it back at the end unless there is a fair reason for deductions, and there is a free service to settle disagreements.
- Tenant Fees Act
- The 2019 law that stops landlords and agents in England charging renters fees, such as for viewings, referencing or paperwork. The rent, capped deposits and a few specific charges are allowed.
What is the difference between OpenRent and Zoopla?
Zoopla is a property portal: it advertises homes but does not let them, and it only takes listings from letting agents. OpenRent is an online letting agent that private landlords use to let their own homes. Because OpenRent is an agent, it can advertise on Zoopla, so the two overlap more than their names suggest.
- What it is
- Zoopla: a portal showing homes from many agents. OpenRent: one online agent, with its own site.
- Who is behind a listing
- Zoopla: whichever agent is named on it, which may be OpenRent. OpenRent: usually a private landlord.
- Who you deal with
- Zoopla: the named agent. OpenRent: usually the landlord, with OpenRent handling the paperwork and money if Rent Now is used.
- Applying
- Zoopla: through the agent’s own process. OpenRent: through Rent Now, starting with a holding deposit by debit card.
Can private landlords list on Zoopla?
Not directly. Zoopla’s help centre says it does not accept properties listed directly by a private landlord, who has to go through a letting agent registered with Zoopla. Online agents such as OpenRent are one of the ways private landlords get there.
How do I tell whether a Zoopla listing is a private landlord?
Look at who is advertising it. Every Zoopla listing names the agent. A high-street or regional agent usually means the agent manages the letting, and often the tenancy. An online agent, OpenRent included, usually means a private landlord who will show you round and run the tenancy themselves.
Neither is better by default. A private landlord can be easier to deal with and quicker to fix things. What changes is who carries the legal duties of an agent, and which checks are left to you.
If a home is on both, where should I apply?
It makes little difference. If the advertiser is OpenRent, the let is an OpenRent let whichever site you found it on, and the tenancy is set up through OpenRent’s process. What matters is that you keep to that process, rather than which site you clicked from.
OpenRent warns that money paid straight to a landlord is not protected by Rent Now, and that the tenancy may then miss legal requirements such as deposit protection. If someone asks you to pay outside the platform, ask why.
What do I get from a traditional agent that I might not get on OpenRent?
An independent place to complain, and protection for money they hold. A letting agent in England must belong to a government-approved complaints scheme, must belong to a client money protection scheme if it holds rent or deposits, and must publish its fees. Those duties apply to OpenRent as an agent too, but once the tenancy starts on a self-managed OpenRent let, the person you deal with day to day is the landlord.
What a letting agent must do, from Business Companion.
How is the money handled on OpenRent?
Through Rent Now, you pay a holding deposit of one week’s rent by debit card. It goes towards your first month’s rent once the contract is signed, and comes back if the landlord turns you down or referencing fails. OpenRent then collects the deposit and first month’s rent, protects the deposit with mydeposits, and releases the rent to the landlord ten days after you move in. Referencing is free to you.
Who writes the tenancy agreement?
On OpenRent, everyone signs a digital contract, and the landlord can add their own clauses. OpenRent says it does not review them. Through a traditional agent, the agent usually drafts it. Either way, read the added clauses before you sign: they are where unusual charges and restrictions turn up.
The tenancy agreement checker lists what to look for in the terms.
What should I check on a private landlord’s listing?
The things an agent would normally have dealt with before the home was advertised. You are relying on the landlord having done them, so ask, and check what can be checked.
- That the person letting it owns the home, or can show they act for the owner.
- Whether the home needs a licence from the council, and whether it has one.
- A current gas safety certificate, electrical report and energy rating.
- Which government-approved scheme will protect your deposit.
- That the rent is in line with similar homes nearby.
- That nobody asks for money before you have viewed the home.
Will I pay fees on either?
You should not. The Tenant Fees Act bans almost every charge to tenants in England, including viewing, referencing and admin fees, whether the home is let by an agent or a landlord, and OpenRent says tenants pay no admin or contract fees. A holding deposit is allowed, capped at one week’s rent.
Comparing other sites? OpenRent vs Rightmove, Rightmove vs Zoopla and SpareRoom vs OpenRent.
Found a place? Check it before you pay
A free check covers the property and the area. The complete report adds the rent against similar homes nearby, the running costs, who owns it and whether it needs a licence: the checks an agent might otherwise have made for you.
Check a property freeSources: Zoopla’s help centre on listing a property for rent; OpenRent’s FAQ and Rent Now pages; Business Companion on letting agents’ duties; and the Tenant Fees Act guidance on GOV.UK. RenterCheck is not connected with OpenRent or Zoopla, and platforms change how they work, so check their current terms. This guide covers common private tenancies in England and is general information, not legal advice. Different rules apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to lodgers, social housing and some specialist accommodation.
Check the landlord
Check who owns the home before you pay anything.
Renting from a private landlord? The report shows whether a company or an individual owns the home, and whether it needs a licence. The free check covers the energy rating, flood zone, crime nearby, conservation area and listed building status, and the sale history. Complete RenterCheck adds the rent comparison, the monthly running costs, licensing, and whether a company or a private individual owns it, and checks your tenancy agreement against the records.