Letting agent and tenancy fees

Most tenancy fees are banned.

Landlords and letting agents cannot charge for things like:

• references

• administration

• check out inspections

• credit and immigration checks

• renewing your tenancy when your fixed term contract ends

These fees are banned if your tenancy started on or after 1 June 2019.

This includes tenancy renewals from this date.

If your tenancy started before this date, the ban only applies to charges from 1 June 2020. Landlords and agents do not have to refund fees taken before this.

Which tenancies are covered?

The tenancy fees ban covers:

• assured tenants

• property guardians

• student lettings

• people with a room in a shared house

• lodgers living with a private landlord

The tenancy fees ban also covers fees charged to guarantors.

If you are charged a banned fee

Your landlord must have refunded your money first if you have been given a section 21 notice.

This does not apply if an agent charged the fee.

Your landlord cannot give you a section 21 notice from 1 May 2026.

Complain to trading standards

Trading standards are part of your council.

They can look into the situation and fine your landlord or agent.

If your landlord or agent breaks the rules more than once, the council can take legal action.

This could mean the landlord or agent gets banned from renting out properties.

Report a rogue landlord or agent in London on the London Assembly website.

Find your local trading standards team if you're outside London.

Complain to a letting agent redress scheme

All agents must belong to a letting agent redress scheme.

You can complain to the redress scheme.

The scheme can tell the agent to apologise or give you compensation.

Get the fee back through a tribunal

You can apply to the first tier tribunal to get your money back if the landlord or agent does not refund the fee.

Trading standards can help.

What you can be charged for

Fees can only be charged in the following situations.

Late rent payments 

You can only be charged a late payment fee when you’re 14 days late with rent.

The late payment fee must be mentioned in your agreement. You cannot be charged more than 3% APR above the Bank of England base rate.

You can only be charged by either your landlord or agent, not both.

Lost keys or fobs

You can be charged reasonable costs for a replacement. You can only be charged if it's mentioned in your tenancy agreement.

Ending your tenancy early

Your landlord or agent can charge you if they agree to let you end your tenancy early or leave without notice. 

This can only cover loss of money or reasonable costs from the agent.

Changing or transferring your tenancy

You can be charged up to £50 to change a term in your tenancy or transfer it to someone else. This includes when you find a replacement tenant who signs a new agreement with landlord. 

You can only be charged more than £50 if the landlord can show the change cost them more than this.

Rent in advance

Landlords and agents can only ask for up to 1 month's rent in advance.

Deposits

There are limits on how much you can be charged for:

• holding deposits - up to 1 week's rent

• tenancy deposits - up to 5 weeks' rent

If you cause damage to your home, your landlord could keep your deposit. Or they might try and claim the costs back through the courts.

Utility bills and charges

Your landlord can charge you for gas, electricity and water if they provide these. They cannot charge you more than they pay the supplier.

Bidding wars

Landlords and letting agents are banned from asking you to pay more rent than advertised.