25 questions to ask before renting a house

1. What is included in the rent?

Ask whether the rent includes council tax, gas, electricity, water, broadband, parking, gardening or service charges. Anything that is included should be listed in the tenancy agreement.

Don’t compare homes on rent alone. A slightly cheaper home with poor insulation, electric heating or a higher council tax band can cost more each month. Check the council tax band.

2. How much will I have to pay before moving in?

Ask for an itemised figure for the holding deposit, the tenancy deposit and the first rent payment. For most private tenancies in England:

• a holding deposit is capped at one week’s rent;
• a tenancy deposit is capped at five weeks’ rent, or six weeks where the rent is £50,000 a year or more; and
• no rent can be asked for or accepted before the tenancy agreement is signed, and after signing, no more than one month’s rent in advance.

The rent can’t be higher than the advertised price: landlords and agents can’t invite or accept offers above it. Work out the limits for your rent.

3. Will the holding deposit be returned or put towards the tenancy?

Get these in writing before you pay:

• the amount;
• the deadline for reaching an agreement;
• when it could be kept; and
• whether it will be refunded or put towards the deposit or first month’s rent.

Never transfer money until you know who you are paying and what it is for.

4. Can the rent go up, and how will I be told?

Most new private tenancies in England are now periodic. Since 1 May 2026 the rent can only go up once a year, not in the first 12 months, using the formal notice (Form 4A) with at least two months’ notice. You can challenge an increase above the market rent.

If the agreement has its own rent review clause, ask what it means. Where it conflicts with the law, the law wins — but it is a sign of an out-of-date template. How rent increases work.

5. Who owns the property?

The person advertising a home isn’t always its owner. There may be a letting agent or someone else managing it, but you should know who your landlord will be and where formal notices go. Checking ownership can also expose inconsistencies before you transfer a deposit.

Six ways to find out who owns a property. Complete RenterCheck shows whether a company or a private individual owns it.

6. Who will manage the tenancy day to day?

Find out whether you’ll deal with the landlord, the letting agent or a separate manager about rent, repairs and emergencies, and ask for their contact details and response times. A letting agent in England must belong to a government-approved redress scheme, and one holding your money must have client money protection. Ask which.

7. How long did the previous tenants stay, and why are they leaving?

You may not get a detailed answer, but the response still tells you something. Several short tenancies, hesitation or conflicting explanations are reasons to look further. You can also ask how quickly repairs were dealt with, though the agent has to respect the previous tenants’ privacy.

8. Has the landlord got everything needed to let it?

You can’t check a landlord’s mortgage or insurance conditions, but you can ask whether the necessary consents and licences are in place. If you’re dealing directly with an unfamiliar landlord, independently confirm the address, the owner and who you’re paying before any money changes hands.

9. Are there any current or recurring problems with damp or mould?

Look and smell as well as ask. Check around windows, on outside walls and ceilings, inside wardrobes and behind furniture. Fresh paint on one patch, a musty smell, condensation or black marks all justify more questions.

Ask what caused any earlier problem and what work was done, and photograph anything that concerns you.

10. Does the heating work, and when was the boiler last serviced?

Ask for the heating to be turned on at the viewing if you can. Look at the boiler’s age, the radiators and the hot water, and find out who to call if either fails. The yearly gas safety check is not the same as a boiler service, so ask about both.

11. Are there problems with the plumbing, roof, windows or insulation?

Run the taps, look under sinks, check the water pressure and look for stains on ceilings. Check windows open, close and lock. In a flat, ask who deals with leaks or repairs to shared parts of the building.

12. Will anything be repaired, replaced or removed before I move in?

Be clear about what stays: furniture, appliances, curtains, bins, garden equipment. Any promised repair, cleaning or decorating should be confirmed by email or in the agreement, with a date — verbal promises are hard to prove.

13. What furniture and appliances are provided?

Check whether it is furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished, and ask for the inventory. Find out who fixes a supplied washing machine or fridge when it breaks, and whether your own furniture will fit through the doors.

14. Is there decent mobile signal and broadband?

Test your signal inside, not just on the doorstep. Ask which broadband services reach the address and whether there’s a working line. “Up to” speeds aren’t a promise, so check availability for the address with providers — especially if you work from home.

15. Can I see the EPC and the safety records?

Before moving in you should be able to see:

• the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — look it up free;
• the current gas safety record, if there’s gas — what it must cover;
• the electrical installation condition report; and
• smoke alarms on every floor, and carbon monoxide alarms where they’re required.

A certificate isn’t proof every visible problem has been fixed. Raise anything you notice separately.

16. Does the property need a licence, and does it have one?

A house in multiple occupation — generally three or more people from more than one household sharing facilities — needs a licence if it is large, and councils can require licences for smaller shared homes or every rented home in some areas. A licence can limit how many people live there. Check licensing for a postcode.

17. How will my deposit be protected?

Ask which government-approved scheme will be used. The landlord or agent must protect the deposit and give you the prescribed information within 30 days of receiving it. Keep the certificate, receipt and emails. How to check your deposit.

18. Can I read the full tenancy agreement before I pay or sign?

You should be given time to read it. Check the rent, address, payment date and occupants match what you were told.

Since 1 May 2026 most new tenancies in England are periodic, with no fixed end date. Be wary of an agreement that still describes a fixed term or refers to section 21. Look closely at notice, repairs and access, pets, gardens, bills and council tax, default charges, decorating and any guarantor.

What to check in a tenancy agreement — the terms that most often need a question.

19. Who looks after the garden and shared areas?

Ask what routine work is yours, which tools are provided, and who handles trees, fences, gutters and bigger jobs. In a flat, ask about cleaning, bins, lifts, entry systems and any charges for shared areas.

20. What are the parking rules?

Don’t assume a space, driveway or street parking comes with the home. Ask about permits, visitor parking, electric car charging and any rules set by the council or the building.

21. What is the noise like, and is any building work planned nearby?

Ask about traffic, neighbours, pubs, schools and flight paths, and come back at a different time of day if you can. Look for planning notices. Nobody can promise an area won’t change, but current plans may affect your decision. Check recorded crime nearby.

22. How do bins, recycling and deliveries work?

This matters most in flats and shared houses. Check collection days, where bins are kept, and whether parcels can be left safely.

23. Are pets allowed?

Ask before signing and get the answer in writing. In England you can ask to keep a pet, and the landlord must consider the request and should give a reason if they refuse — but that doesn’t mean every home must accept every pet. A lease or building rules can also affect it.

24. Can I decorate, hang pictures or make changes?

Ask what needs written permission. Small changes cause deposit disputes when nobody agreed them first. If you need adaptations for a disability, raise them early.

25. How do I end the tenancy if my plans change?

For most periodic tenancies in England since 1 May 2026, you end it by giving two months’ notice in writing, on the day the rent is due or the day before. You keep paying rent during the notice period, so know that cost before you commit.