Holding deposit calculator

When a holding deposit can be kept

• A holding deposit must be repaid, or put towards the rent or the tenancy deposit, within 7 days of the tenancy being entered into.
• If the landlord decides not to proceed, it must be repaid within 7 days of that decision or of the deadline for agreement, whichever is sooner.
• The deadline for agreement is 15 days after the holding deposit is paid, unless both sides agree a different date in writing.
• It may only be kept if you provide false or misleading information, fail a Right to Rent check, withdraw, or fail to take all reasonable steps to enter the tenancy.
• A landlord or agent may only hold one holding deposit for one property at a time.

What you can be asked to pay

Rent

Rent itself is not capped, but rent cannot be front-loaded to disguise a banned fee.

Holding deposit

Capped at one week’s rent, and only one property at a time.

Tenancy deposit

Capped at five weeks’ rent, or six weeks where the annual rent is £50,000 or more.

Changes to the tenancy at your request

Capped at £50, or the landlord’s reasonable costs if higher and evidenced.

Early termination at your request

Limited to the landlord’s actual loss, or the agent’s reasonable costs.

Utilities, communication services, TV licence and council tax

Where the tenancy agreement makes you responsible for them.

Default fees

Only for a late rent payment (interest capped at 3% above the Bank of England base rate, and only after 14 days) or a replacement key or security device, at reasonable evidenced cost.

Payments that are banned

• ×Viewing fees
• ×Administration or application fees
• ×Referencing or credit check fees
• ×Inventory check fees
• ×Tenancy renewal fees
• ×Check-out fees
• ×Professional cleaning as a compulsory charge
• ×Requiring a specific third-party service such as a named referencing provider