I'm new to renting

When you move into a rented home, your landlord can usually ask for the first rent payment, a refundable holding deposit if one has been agreed, and a tenancy deposit. Other fees are limited by law and most charges are not allowed.

Landlords are no longer allowed to ask for rent covering future rent periods, either before you move in or once your tenancy has started. This change is designed to stop renters being priced out through large upfront payments.

If you are renting for the first time, you should not be expected to pay several months’ rent in one go to secure a property. The law now limits payments so that renting is more accessible.

Rent must be due within the rent period it relates to. Clauses that say rent is “payable in advance” do not apply under the new rules, even if they appear in a tenancy agreement.

If your tenancy ends part‑way through a rent period, you are entitled to a refund for any rent you have paid that covers days after the tenancy ends.