Rent in advance
This advice is for private assured tenants.
Rent in advance is rent you pay before you move in.
From 1 May 2026, your landlord or agent can only take rent in advance after you sign a tenancy agreement.
This payment can only be used to cover the first month's rent.
How much rent in advance do you have to pay?
Your landlord or agent can only ask for up to 1 month's rent in advance.
Your landlord cannot accept more even if you offer it to them.
Example: Rent in advance
Fred sees a property for rent. The advert says:
'This property is available from 1 January. Rent is £550 a month.'
The landlord can only ask Fred to pay rent in advance if he signs a tenancy agreement before 1 January.
The landlord cannot ask for more than £550 rent in advance. This will cover the first month’s rent payment.
Your landlord or letting agent must not:
hide extra fees by calling it rent in advance
make you pay more than 1 month's rent in advance
make you pay rent in advance before you sign a tenancy agreement
Find out what to do if you are charged extra fees.
When is your next rent payment due?
Most private tenants pay rent monthly.
Your landlord must use any rent in advance you pay to cover your first month's rent.
It means that if you pay one month's rent in advance, you do not have to pay rent until one month after you move in.
Example: When is the next rent payment due?
Bushra signs a tenancy agreement on 30 November. The tenancy starts on 15 December.
Bushra's monthly rent is £850. Her landlord asks for one month's rent in advance.
Bushra's next rent payment is due on 15 January.
Rent in advance if you get universal credit
The landlord or agent will probably still ask for rent in advance. So you need to budget for this.
They might also ask for a deposit.
Report your house move to universal credit (UC)
Report changes in your UC account. Use the report a change tab in your journal.
You can also report changes over the phone or at the jobcentre.
Make sure you do this as soon as you move. Try to do it in the same assessment period.
Your UC for the whole of that assessment period is worked out based on your new rent. You will not get the payment until the next month because of the way UC is paid.
More advice on:
Universal credit might not pay your full rent
You should make sure all your rent is paid. You could get extra help from the council.
Find out about discretionary housing payments (DHPs).
If you pay a deposit at the same time
If you pay rent in advance and a tenancy deposit at the same time, make sure it's clear:
what each payment is for
how much rent is covered by the payment
Ask for a receipt if you pay cash for your rent in advance or deposit.
Your tenancy agreement or written information from your landlord should make it clear what each payment is for.
Last updated: 1 May 2026
