Complete RenterCheck
Tenancy agreement checker
Upload the tenancy agreement you’ve been asked to sign, and we compare it with the records for that home: the rent, deposit and fees against the legal limits, who the landlord is, and licensing. You get a list of what to question, written ready to send to the letting agent.
England only · Guidance checked September 2026
How the checker works
- Check the property free. Enter the address and the rent you’ve been quoted.
- Get Complete RenterCheck. It adds the rent comparison, monthly costs, the registered owner, licensing and more.
- Upload your agreement. A PDF or photos of the pages. We list what differs from the report and what to question, with the clause and page for each.
Not legal advice. Automated reading can make mistakes, so check each point against the clause it names.
What to check in a tenancy agreement before you sign
- The type of tenancy
- Most new private tenancies in England are now assured periodic tenancies with no fixed term. Since 1 May 2026 section 21 “no fault” evictions have ended and you can leave by giving two months’ notice. An agreement that sets a fixed term, refers to section 21 or asks for longer notice has probably been written on an old template.
- The rent, and rent in advance
- The rent in the agreement should match the rent you were offered: a landlord or agent can’t accept more than the advertised rent. No rent can be taken before you sign, and at most one month’s rent between signing and the tenancy starting.
- The deposit
- A tenancy deposit is capped at five weeks’ rent, or six weeks’ where the rent is £50,000 a year or more. It must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, and you must be told which one.
- Fees and charges
- Apart from rent and capped deposits, a landlord or agent can only charge for a short list of things: a change you ask for (capped at £50 or reasonable costs), ending early at your request, late rent over 14 days, lost keys, and bills the agreement makes you responsible for. Administration, referencing, inventory, check-out, renewal and compulsory professional cleaning fees are banned.
- Rent increases
- Rent can only be increased once a year using a formal notice under section 13, and you can challenge an increase at the First-tier Tribunal. A clause that sets its own yearly increase no longer applies.
- Who the landlord is
- The agreement should name the landlord and give an address in England or Wales for notices. If the landlord isn’t the owner on HM Land Registry, ask what gives them the right to let the home.
- Licensing
- Some rented homes need a licence from the council: shared homes with five or more people from more than one household everywhere, and in some areas smaller shared homes or most rented homes. Ask whether the home needs one and for its number, and check the number of people the agreement allows is within the licence.
- Pets
- You can ask to keep a pet, and the landlord must not unreasonably refuse and must reply within 28 days. A blanket ban in the agreement is worth asking about.
- Repairs
- The landlord is responsible for the structure, the exterior, and the heating, hot water, gas, electrics and sanitation. A term that makes you pay for these, or for all repairs under a set amount, is worth questioning before you sign.
Sources: the Renters’ Rights Act overview for tenants, Tenant Fees Act guidance, tenancy deposit protection and rent increases, all on GOV.UK.
Questions renters ask
What does the tenancy agreement checker do?
It reads the agreement you’ve been asked to sign and compares it with your Complete RenterCheck report for that home: the address, rent, deposit and fees against the legal limits, the landlord against HM Land Registry, and licensing. It flags terms written on old templates, like fixed terms and section 21, and writes each point as a question to send the letting agent.
Is the tenancy agreement checker legal advice?
No. It points out terms worth questioning and explains why, from the law in England. Automated reading can make mistakes and may miss a term, so check each point against the clause it names, and get housing or legal advice for anything important or disputed.
What happens to my agreement when I upload it?
It is read by Anthropic’s Claude, an AI service, on our behalf, and is not stored by RenterCheck. Only the findings, in our own words with clause and page numbers, are saved with your report. Names, contact and bank details of individuals are not recorded.
Can I check more than one agreement?
Each Complete RenterCheck checks the agreement for the home it covers, up to three times, so you can check a revised version after the agent replies.
Can a letting agent charge a cleaning fee in England?
Not as a compulsory charge. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, professional cleaning can’t be required as a fee. A landlord can make a deduction from your deposit at the end if the home is left dirtier than when you moved in, allowing for fair wear and tear.
How much deposit can a landlord ask for?
Five weeks’ rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks’ where it is £50,000 or more. A holding deposit is capped at one week’s rent.
Are fixed-term tenancies still allowed in England?
Not for most private tenancies starting from 1 May 2026, which are assured periodic tenancies with no fixed term. You can leave by giving two months’ notice, and a landlord needs a legal ground to end the tenancy.
My tenancy agreement mentions section 21. Is that a problem?
Section 21 “no fault” evictions ended on 1 May 2026. An agreement that still refers to them was probably written on an old template, so ask for one that reflects the Renters’ Rights Act before you sign.
Can my tenancy agreement say the rent goes up every year?
A rent review clause no longer decides increases. Rent can only rise once a year through a section 13 notice, which you can challenge at the First-tier Tribunal if the new rent is above the market rent.
How much rent in advance can a landlord ask for?
None before you sign the tenancy agreement, and at most one month’s rent between signing and the tenancy starting.
Check the home before you sign
The free property check covers the energy rating, flood and planning designations, crime nearby and past sales. Work out the legal deposit limits for your rent, or check whether a licensing scheme covers the home.
Check a property free