How to Rent Guide: Renting a Home in England in 2026

This guide covers private renting in England only: Scotland and Wales have different systems. The old GOV.UK How to rent guide was withdrawn when the new law arrived, so pre-2026 advice may not apply.

What changed on 1 May 2026

The Renters Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, and its main reforms came into force on 1 May 2026. From that date every private tenancy in England became a rolling assured periodic tenancy, with no fixed end date.

The biggest change is the end of section 21 no-fault evictions. A landlord must now use a section 8 ground to end a tenancy, such as selling the property, moving in, or serious rent arrears, and give the correct notice, usually four months.

Work out what you can afford first

Rent is only part of the monthly cost: add council tax, energy, water, broadband, insurance and a TV licence. A common check is income of about 30 times the monthly rent, so a 1,200-pound home needs around 36,000 pounds a year. Our guide to how to save money fast on a low income can help if money is tight.

Check whether you can claim help with housing costs before you commit. Some renters on a low income can get support through Universal Credit, so check your entitlement early. Keep a small emergency buffer too.

Find a home and view it properly

Start with the property portals and local letting agents, and set up alerts so new listings reach you quickly. Good homes move fast, so have your documents ready, and always view in person.

At the viewing, check what photos hide. Run the taps, look for damp and black mould around windows, test the heating. Ask how old the boiler is, and photograph any damage.

Applying: checks, referencing and the holding deposit

Once your offer is accepted, the agent will ask for documents. Every adult in the home must pass a right to rent check: a British or Irish passport is checked in person, while others provide a share code from the Home Office. Bring photo ID, payslips and references.

Referencing and credit checks are free: the Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans application and admin fees. The only payment now is a holding deposit, capped at one week rent, which reserves the home while checks run. It is returned, or put towards your deposit or first rent.

Before you sign: read the agreement

The tenancy agreement is the contract, so read every page before signing. Check the rent, the payment date, who is named as a tenant, and what it says about pets, smoking and decorating. Rent review clauses no longer set your rent rises: increases now follow the statutory process.

Your landlord must also give you an Energy Performance Certificate, a gas safety certificate if the property has gas, and an electrical safety report. Photograph every room, note damage in writing, and return your inventory comments within seven days.

Worked example: your first month costs

This example is illustrative, using a rent of 1,200 pounds a month. One week rent is 1,200 pounds times 12, divided by 52: 276.92 pounds. The deposit is capped at five weeks rent: 276.92 pounds times five is 1,384.62 pounds. Add the first month rent: the total due before you get the keys is 2,584.62 pounds.

The holding deposit, 276.92 pounds here, counts towards that total, so the balance on signing is 2,307.70 pounds. No rent can be taken before you sign, and no more than one month rent in advance can be asked for.

Living there: rent rises, repairs and pets

Your rent can rise only once in any 12-month period, and not at all in the first 12 months of a new tenancy. The landlord must use the formal section 13 process, giving at least two months notice. If you think the new rent is too high, challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal before it takes effect.

Repairs to the structure, heating, hot water, plumbing and electrics are the landlord responsibility: report problems in writing and keep dated photos. Awaab Law sets strict deadlines for fixing damp and mould in social housing, but its extension to private renting is still under consultation and not yet in force.

Pets are now a request, not a ban. Since 1 May 2026 you can ask in writing to keep a pet, and the landlord must reply within 28 days. A blanket no pets clause no longer stands. Landlords also cannot refuse you for having children or receiving benefits, or accept offers above the advertised rent.

If things go wrong, and how to leave

If your deposit was not protected within 30 days, you can claim between one and three times the deposit in court. Check early with the three schemes: the Deposit Protection Service, the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, and mydeposits. For other problems, complain in writing first, then get free help from Citizens Advice.

Leaving is now simple: end the tenancy at any time with two months written notice, ending on the last day of a rent period. Take meter readings and dated photos on moving day. Your deposit should be returned within 10 days of agreeing deductions. If you later decide to buy, see our guide to first-time buyer stamp duty relief, and the rules for an extra property in our second home stamp duty guide.

This article is general information only, not financial advice.