Managing a tenancy - information for landlords
Contents
Starting a tenancy and tenancy agreements
See our managing a tenancy information page for information about how the Renters' Rights Act 2025 changes things.
You can find out more about the Renters' Rights Act on the Government’s Housing Hub.
Before you start the tenancy
Right to rent
Before the start of a new tenancy, you must check that all tenants aged 18 and over have the legal right to rent your property. This is even if they are not named on the tenancy agreement, or there’s no written tenancy agreement.
It is against the law to only check people you think are not British citizens, you must check all new tenants.
More information about right to rent checks can be found on the GOV.UK website.
Discrimination
You cannot do anything to make a tenant less likely to rent a property (or prevent them from renting it) because they have children or receive benefits. This is called ‘rental discrimination’. This could include:
- withholding information about a property including its availability
- stopping someone from viewing a property
- refusing to grant someone a tenancy
It will also apply to anyone acting on your behalf, like letting agents, referencing services, friends or family members.
See: Renting out your property: guidance for landlords and letting agents -Rental discrimination: a guide for landlords - Guidance - GOV.UK
Rent in advance
You can only ask for rent in advance after you and your tenant have signed the tenancy agreement before the date the tenancy starts. If your tenant will be paying rent monthly, the maximum amount you can ask for is 1 month’s rent. If they will not be paying rent monthly, the maximum amount you can ask for is 28 days’ rent.
See: Renting out your property: guidance for landlords and letting agents - Rent payments and deposits - Guidance - GOV.UK
You must not accept, ask for or encourage your prospective tenant to pay rent before you both sign the tenancy agreement.
See: Renting out your property: guidance for landlords and letting agents - Rental bidding: a guide for landlords - Guidance - GOV.UK
Starting a tenancy and tenancy agreements
A tenancy agreement is a contract between you and your tenants. It sets out the legal terms and conditions of the tenancy. It can be written down or oral, however, even if the tenancy is oraloral, you must issue a written statement of the terms to tenants.
See: Renting out your property: guidance for landlords and letting agents - Tenancy agreements overview - Guidance - GOV.UK
Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 most tenancies will be periodic (running on a week-by-week or month-by-month basis). There are some exceptions such as purpose builtpurpose-built student accommodation.
See: Renting out your property: guidance for landlords and letting agents - Tenancy types - Guidance - GOV.UK
The tenancy agreement should include:
- the names of all people involved
- the rental price and how it’s paid
- the deposit amount and how it will be protected
- when the deposit can be fully or partly withheld, for example to repair damage caused by tenants
- the property address
- the start and end date of the tenancy
- any tenant or landlord obligations
- who has responsibility for the bills
You can include the written statement of the terms separately, or as part of the tenancy agreement.
See: Renting out your property: guidance for landlords and letting agents - Tenancy agreements: written information for your tenant - Guidance - GOV.UK
Other information that can be included:
- whether the tenancy can be ended early and how this can be done
- who’s responsible for minor repairs (other than those that the landlord is legally responsible for)
- whether the property can be let to someone else (sublet) or have lodger
Template tenancy agreement
A free of charge model tenancy agreement has been designed by the government. This is for use when a landlord and tenant are entering into a periodic assured tenancy agreement in the private rented sector. There is no legal requirement to use this template.
Charges
What you can charge a tenant for is restricted by law, you can only charge a tenant for:
- rent
- bills for utilities, phone, broadband and TV
- a tenancy deposit
- a holding deposit
- replacing a key
- if the rent is rent 14 days (or more) late
- changing the tenancy (only if the tenant asked for the change)
- ending the tenancy early
- council tax
- a TV licence
- the cost of repairs if you damage the property
If you include any other fees, it might be illegal, and you could be asked to return them to the tenancy by the court. Any court action brought may incur court costs to you as the landlord.
See: Renting out your property: guidance for landlords and letting agents - Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy - Guidance - GOV.UK
Tenancy deposit protection (TDP) scheme
See: Renting out your property: guidance for landlords and letting agents - Rent payments and deposits - Guidance - GOV.UK
You must place your tenants’ deposit in a tenancy deposit protection (TDP) scheme if you rent out your home on an assured shorthold tenancy that started after 6 April 2007.
If you receive a valuable item as a deposit instead of money (for example a car or watch), you do not have to put it in a TDP.
These government-backed schemes ensure your tenants will get their deposit back if they:
- meet the terms of your tenancy agreement.
- do not damage the property.
- pay the rent and bills.
You (or your letting agent) must put your tenants’ deposit in the scheme within 30 days of getting it.
You can use any of the following schemes if your property is in England or Wales:
All Tenancy Deposit Schemes offer you 2 options:
- the scheme holds the deposit for free - known as a ‘custodial’ scheme.
- you or the agent holds the deposit, and you pay the scheme to insure it - known as an ‘insured’ scheme.
At the end of a tenancy the deposit must be returned to your tenants within 10 days of you both agreeing how much they’ll get back.
If there is a dispute about how much is to be returned to the tenant, the deposit is protected in the scheme until the issue is settled.
If you’re in an ‘insured’ scheme, you or the agent must give the deposit to the TDP scheme. They will hold it until the issue is settled.
Holding deposits
If you’ve received a holding deposit from your future tenants (money to ‘hold’ a property before an agreement is signed), you do not have to protect it. Once they become tenants the holding deposit becomes a deposit, and you must protect it.
Documents you must supply to your tenant
When you are setting up your new tenancy you must supply your tenant with important documents. Without some of them you will not be able to pursue an eviction, and you could be acting unlawfully.
- A signed copy of the tenancy agreement – your tenant and you will need to have signed this agreement, and it is essential that both you and the tenant retain a signed copy. This will help your tenant to conduct their tenancy properly and give you a clear point of reference in managing the tenancy fairly.
- Written statement of the terms unless you have included these in the tenancy agreement
- Deposit protection documents – you and your tenant should keep copies or the record of where and how you have protected their deposit.
- Energy performance certificate – tenants need to understand how energy efficient your property is so that they can budget for the bills. All properties in the UK must have an energy performance certificate of E or above and you must demonstrate this to your tenants before they rent their home from you. Get a new energy certificate - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Gas safety certificate – You must give your tenants a copy of a gas safety certificate. It is important to show that the property is safe, and the appliances have been recently checked. You will need to provide a new one each year.
- How to rent booklet - You should give a current version of the How to rent Guide to your tenant at the start of their tenancy. If you renew the assured shorthold tenancy you should issue it again if the checklist has been updated.
Letting agents and property managers
If you use a letting agent or property manager and need to raise a concern or complaint about them, see our Letting agents and property managers redress schemes page for further information about the scheme.
Page last reviewed: 24 April 2026
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