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Tenant costs · England · 2026

Understand costs before you commit.

Ask for a property-specific breakdown of rent, deposits, included bills and any other permitted payments before applying. This page retains its existing address but gives current England guidance, checked on 13 October 2026—not a 2024 fee schedule or personalised legal advice. The Tenant Fees Act applies to covered private tenancies, student accommodation and licences; genuinely excluded arrangements such as company lets may have different rules.

01

No application or referencing charges

Tenant Link does not charge tenants application, administration, referencing or credit-check fees. Under the Tenant Fees Act, a landlord or agent cannot make payment for an inventory, routine check-out or professional cleaning a condition of the tenancy. Liability for damage or a breach of the agreement is separate and must be justified; automatic cleaning charges are not permitted. You may choose an optional service such as a professional guarantor or deposit-replacement product, but cannot be required to purchase a third-party service, insurance or loan as a condition of the tenancy. Ask for any optional provider’s costs and terms before choosing it.

02

Holding deposit and reservation terms

Before referencing begins, we will explain the proposed tenancy and ask you to agree written holding-deposit terms and pay a refundable holding deposit of no more than one week’s rent. This is a holding deposit, not a non-refundable application or holding fee. For monthly rent, one week’s rent is calculated as monthly rent × 12 ÷ 52. For a joint tenancy, the cap applies to the property as a whole—not a full week of the property’s rent charged to each applicant. We will take the property off the market while we process your reserved application; this does not guarantee that the application will be accepted. The usual deadline for entering into the tenancy agreement is 15 days after the holding deposit is received. A different deadline can be agreed in writing. This is a deadline for reaching the agreement, not an automatic deadline to move in or an automatic right to keep your deposit.

03

When your holding deposit is returned

The holding deposit will normally be refunded if the tenancy is agreed, the landlord decides not to proceed, or the agreement deadline passes without a tenancy being agreed. With your consent, it can instead be applied towards the tenancy deposit or first rent payment once the tenancy agreement has been signed. It can only be retained in the limited circumstances allowed by the Tenant Fees Act 2019, including withdrawal from the application, a failed Right to Rent check where the statutory conditions for retention are met, materially false or misleading information affecting suitability, or failure to take all reasonable steps to enter into the agreement where the landlord or agent has taken all reasonable steps themselves. Where a refund is due, it must be made within seven days of the relevant statutory trigger, such as entering into the tenancy agreement, the landlord deciding not to proceed, or the agreed deadline passing. If the deposit is lawfully retained, the reasons must be given in writing within seven days of the decision not to grant the tenancy or the agreement deadline expiring, as applicable. Failing an affordability or credit check is not, by itself, a reason to retain a holding deposit if the information supplied was accurate.

GOV.UK: holding deposits and permitted tenant payments
04

Tenancy deposit and agreed payments

Once Tenant Link has confirmed that references have passed and been accepted, the remaining tenancy deposit is normally due within 24 hours under our application process. This is an agency payment timetable, not a separate statutory deadline. We will confirm the amount and explain any holding-deposit refund or agreed credit. For tenancies covered by the Tenant Fees Act, the tenancy deposit is capped at five weeks’ rent where annual rent is below £50,000, or six weeks’ rent where annual rent is £50,000 or more. For an assured tenancy, the deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme and the prescribed information provided within 30 days of receipt. Rent is only requested in accordance with the signing and advance-payment rules above. If you need to discuss an agreed payment deadline, contact us promptly rather than assuming a deposit will automatically be forfeited.

Deposit guidanceGOV.UK: tenancy deposit protection
05

Rent in advance and applicants new to the UK

For ordinary assured private tenancies in England under the rules introduced on 1 May 2026, a landlord or agent must not ask for, encourage or accept rent payments before both parties have signed the tenancy agreement. A permitted holding deposit or tenancy deposit is different from rent and may be requested before signing. After the agreement has been signed but before the tenancy starts, the amount that can normally be required is limited to one month’s rent for a monthly tenancy, or up to 28 days’ rent for a weekly tenancy. Statutory exceptions exist for certain housing arrangements; we will explain if one genuinely applies to the property. You will not be required to pay several months’ rent in advance simply because you are a student, have recently arrived in the UK, have limited UK credit history or cannot provide a guarantor. We will discuss appropriate income, funding and identity evidence and any acceptable alternative security arrangements instead. Please speak to the team if you need help understanding the costs of renting.

GOV.UK: rent in advance and deposits
06

Other permitted payments are limited

Bills such as gas, electricity, water, internet and telephone must be explained in the agreement, including whether they are included in rent. Council tax and a TV licence may be included in agreed rent; if paid separately, they must be paid to the council or licensing provider rather than as a separate fee to the landlord. Check any exemption and whether a TV licence is needed. A change to the tenancy requested by the tenant may cost up to £50, or more only where reasonable higher costs can be evidenced. For ending an assured periodic tenancy without sufficient notice, any payment must not exceed rent due for the minimum notice period; a shorter notice period can be agreed with the landlord. This is not an automatic fixed-term cancellation fee. Default fees must be provided for in the tenancy agreement. Lost keys or security devices may be charged at reasonable replacement cost, supported by written evidence. Late-rent interest can only be charged once rent is at least 14 days overdue and is capped at an annual rate of 3% above the Bank of England base rate on the overdue amount.

08

Contracts and procedures need separate review

This website summary does not update or certify any tenancy agreement, guarantee, reservation terms or referencing form. Tenant Link should obtain professional review of its contracts and operating procedures for the 2026 rules, including existing guarantees signed before 1 May 2026, payment requests, holding-deposit refunds and fair affordability assessments. Applicants and guarantors should seek independent advice if a document conflicts with this guidance.

Application guide and document checklistsContact Tenant Link
Need a person?(023) 8036 6555lettings@tenantlink.co.uk