Renting in England

Renting in the UK from abroad: a guide for England

You can arrange a private rental in England before you arrive. You will need to prove your Right to Rent, usually with a share code, and show you can afford the rent without a UK credit history. Since 1 May 2026, a landlord can’t take any rent before you sign or more than one month’s rent after, so six months upfront is no longer the price of being new to the UK.

England only · Checked against GOV.UK on 25 October 2026 · Independent, not a government service

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Right to Rent when you’re overseas

Every adult who will live in a rented home in England must have their Right to Rent checked, British citizens included. For someone moving from abroad, three points from the Home Office’s guide for landlords matter most:

A landlord can agree a tenancy in principle before you travel, and can do the check once you are here, before you move in.
If you have an eVisa, the only way to prove your Right to Rent is a share code from the Home Office online service. Visa stickers (vignettes) stopped being issued on 1 July 2026, though a valid short-validity vignette already in your passport may still be used if you sign before setting up your UKVI account.
If your Right to Rent is time-limited, the check can’t be done more than 28 days before the tenancy starts, so don’t worry if the agent asks for it close to your move.

A check can happen by video call, but for a document check the landlord must hold your original documents, not just see them on screen. How share codes work, and what to do if yours won’t generate, are on Right to Rent and Right to Rent share code.

Referencing without a UK credit history

Referencing is the landlord or agent checking you can pay and will look after the home. It’s separate from Right to Rent: passing one doesn’t mean you’ve passed the other. Shelter says they usually look at references, income and, with your permission, a soft credit search.

A soft search may show little or nothing if you have only just arrived. That isn’t a black mark, but it does mean the other evidence carries more weight. Offer it early:

Your job offer or employment contract with the salary, or your university offer and proof of funding.
Recent bank statements showing savings or regular income, from any country.
A reference from your landlord at home, with contact details.

You can’t be charged for any of these checks. If you fail referencing, you can offer a guarantor; Shelter says your holding deposit should be returned if you were honest about your finances.

Guarantors when you’re new to the UK

Shelter lists moving to the UK from overseas as one reason landlords are more likely to ask for a guarantor, and Citizens Advice says they usually want one who lives in the UK. If you don’t have anyone here:

A council or charity rent guarantee scheme. Shelter calls these the better option.
A rent guarantor company. You pay it a fee and it acts as your guarantor. A landlord can suggest one, but can’t make you use it. Read its terms on what it can recover from you.
Students: ask your university. Shelter suggests asking about funds or support, and whether it has a list of landlords who don’t ask for a guarantor.

What you can be asked to pay

For a private tenancy in England agreed on or after 1 May 2026, GOV.UK’s rent in advance and deposits page sets the limits:

Before you sign

A holding deposit of up to one week’s rent, to reserve the home while checks are done.
A tenancy deposit of up to five weeks’ rent, or six weeks’ if the rent is £50,000 a year or more.
No rent at all, even if you offer it.

After you sign, before you move in

Up to one month’s rent, or 28 days’ rent if you pay weekly.
The deposit must go into a government-approved scheme within 30 days of the landlord getting it. Check it’s protected.

The only exceptions to the one-month cap are a tenancy agreed by a council because you were legally homeless, and social or supported housing. Work out the figures for your rent with the holding deposit calculator.

Viewing a home you can’t visit

The Home Office advises against paying anything for a home you haven’t viewed in person. From abroad, the closest you can get is someone you trust visiting for you, or a live video viewing where you choose what to look at. A pre-recorded video or a set of photos can be of any property.

On a live call, ask them to show the street, the front door number and the meters, and to open the windows and cupboards.
Ask for the gas safety record, the electrical safety report and the energy certificate before you sign.
Check the address against the records yourself: its energy rating and who owns it.

Scams aimed at people abroad

Renters who can’t view a home are the easiest target for an advert that isn’t real, or isn’t the advertiser’s to let. The warning signs:

A “landlord” who is abroad too, and will post the keys once you’ve paid.
A request for several months’ rent before you sign. That is now unlawful, as well as a red flag.
Pressure to pay by bank transfer to a personal account, money transfer service or crypto, quickly, to beat other applicants.
A rent well below what similar homes nearby cost.

How to spot a rental scam has the checks to make and what to do if you have already paid.

What to bring, or have ready to send

Your passport, and access to your UKVI account so you can get a share code if your status is an eVisa
Your visa decision letter, or your university offer or employment contract
Proof of income or funds: an offer letter with salary, recent payslips, or bank statements
A reference from your current or last landlord, translated if it isn’t in English
Your guarantor’s details, or a note of the guarantor service you plan to use
Copies of everything the landlord or agent has sent you: the advert, the written terms and every receipt

Never send original documents by post to someone you haven’t met. A landlord who needs to see an original can do the check with you in person once you arrive.

Can I rent a property in the UK before I arrive?

Yes. Home Office guidance says a landlord may agree a tenancy in principle before you travel, and if you are overseas they can do your Right to Rent check before you move in rather than before the agreement starts. You can sign and pay the first month’s rent from abroad, but be careful who you pay.

The safe order: see the home (in person, through someone you trust, or by live video), check who owns it, read the written terms, sign, and only then pay rent. Questions to ask before renting.

Can a landlord ask me for six or twelve months’ rent upfront because I’m from abroad?

Not for a private tenancy in England agreed on or after 1 May 2026. No rent can be asked for or accepted before you sign, and after signing the most is usually one month’s rent, or 28 days’ if you pay weekly. Being an international student or having no UK guarantor is not one of the exceptions, and the cap applies even if you offer more.

Asked for more? You can refuse, and report it to the council for the area. Rent in advance has the detail and what to say.

Can I rent with no UK credit history?

Yes. Many landlords and agents will look at other evidence instead: an employment contract or offer letter, payslips or bank statements, and a reference from a previous landlord. Some will also ask for a guarantor.

Do I need a UK guarantor?

Not by law, but Citizens Advice says landlords usually want a guarantor who lives in the UK. If you don’t have one, the main options are a council or charity rent guarantee scheme, a paid guarantor company, or a landlord who doesn’t ask for one. A landlord can suggest a guarantor company but can’t make you use it.

Rent guarantors covers what a guarantor signs and what to check in a guarantor company’s terms.

Can a landlord refuse to rent to me because I’m not British?

No. Nationality counts as race under the Equality Act 2010, and the Home Office code says refusing to consider any international tenants is direct discrimination. A landlord also shouldn’t treat you differently because your Right to Rent is time-limited, or set a rule such as five years’ UK residence that puts migrants at a disadvantage.

Are the rules different for international students?

For an ordinary house or flat let by a private landlord, no: you have the same rights as any other private tenant. Halls and purpose-built student accommodation run under a national code of practice are not assured periodic tenancies, so different rules can apply there, including on fixed terms and how rent is paid. Check your agreement, or ask your university’s accommodation office.

Can an agent charge me for referencing or an overseas check?

No. Since the Tenant Fees Act 2019, landlords and agents in England cannot charge tenants for referencing, credit checks, Right to Rent checks or admin. Before you sign, the only payments they can ask for are a holding deposit of up to one week’s rent and a tenancy deposit.

Where this comes from

From the Home Office: the Right to Rent code of practice, the landlord’s guide to right to rent checks and the code on avoiding unlawful discrimination, all from 1 October 2026, and its rental fraud warning. On GOV.UK: get a share code online, assured periodic tenancies: a guide for tenants, rent in advance and deposits, the Renters’ Rights Act overview for tenants and tenancy deposit protection. Shelter on how landlords and letting agents check tenants and guarantors for private renters; Citizens Advice on using a guarantor; and the Mayor of London on the tenant fees ban.

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. Immigration rules are not covered here: for your own status, use GOV.UK or a regulated immigration adviser. RenterCheck is independent and not connected with the government.

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