The rules about what can happen before or during your tenancy depend on what type of tenancy you have. The type of tenancy also changes how you or your landlord can end it. The most common type of tenancy is an assured shorthold tenancy ( AST ). On 1 May 2026, all assured shorthold tenancies will become assured periodic tenancies ( APTs ) . Other types of tenancy include: excluded tenancies or licences assured tenancies regulated tenancies If you rent a property as a university student , the type of tenancy you have depends on the type of housing you’re living in. If you do not know which type of tenancy you have, you can check by using Shelter’s tenancy checker . Assured shorthold tenancies ( ASTs ) On 1 May 2026, all assured shorthold tenancies will automatically become assured periodic tenancies ( APTs ) . A tenancy can be an AST if all of the following apply: the property you rent is private your tenancy started on or after 15 January 1989 the property is your main accommodation your landlord does not live in the property A tenancy cannot be an AST if: it began or was agreed before 15 January 1989 the rent is more than £100,000 a year the rent is less than £250 a year (less than £1,000 in London) it’s a business tenancy or tenancy of licensed premises the property is a holiday let your landlord is a local council Excluded tenancies or licences You may have an excluded tenancy or licence if you live in the same property as your landlord and share rooms with them, like a kitchen or bathroom. You’ll usually have less protection from eviction with this type of agreement. Assured tenancies Tenancies starting between 15 January 1989 and 27 February 1997 may be assured. You’ll have increased protection from eviction with this type of agreement. Regulated tenancies Tenancies starting before 15 January 1989 may be regulated. You’ll have increased protection from eviction and can apply for a ‘fair rent’.

Your rights and responsibilities

You have certain rights and responsibilities if you’re a tenant in privately rented property. Your rights As a tenant, you have the right to: live in a property that’s safe and in a good state of repair have your deposit returned when the tenancy ends - and in some circumstances have your deposit protected challenge excessively high charges know who your landlord is live in the property undisturbed see an Energy Performance Certificate for the property be protected from unfair eviction and unfair rent have a written agreement if you have a fixed-term tenancy of more than 3 years If you have a tenancy agreement , it should be fair and comply with the law. If you do not know who your landlord is, write to the person or company you pay rent to. Your landlord can be fined If they do not give you this information within 21 days. When you start a new tenancy When you start a new assured or short assured tenancy, your landlord must give you: a copy of the How to rent guide if you live in England a tenant information pack if you live in Scotland Your responsibilities You should give your landlord access to the property to inspect it or carry out repairs. Your landlord has to give you at least 24 hours’ notice and visit at a reasonable time of day, unless it’s an emergency and they need immediate access. You must also: take good care of the property, for example turn off the water at the mains if you’re away in cold weather pay the agreed rent, even if repairs are needed or you’re in dispute with your landlord pay other charges as agreed with the landlord, for example Council Tax or utility bills repair or pay for any damage caused by you, your family or friends only sublet a property if the tenancy agreement or your landlord allows it Your landlord has the right to take legal action to evict you if you do not meet your responsibilities. If your landlord lives outside the UK Contact HM Revenue and Customs ( HMRC ) if your landlord lives outside the UK and you pay £100 or more a week in rent directly to them. You may have to deduct tax from your rent under HMRC ’s ‘ non-resident landlord scheme ’.

You must prove that you have a right to rent property in England if you’re: starting a tenancy on or after 1 February 2016 renting it as your main home Exemptions You will not have to prove your right to rent if you live in: student accommodation, for example halls of residence accommodation provided by your employer as part of your job or training social housing accommodation provided by the council hostels and refuges a care home, hospital or hospice accommodation with a lease of 7 or more years a mobile home (unless you’re renting the mobile home from the owner) Find out more about exemptions (also known as ‘excluded agreements’) in the landlord’s guide to right to rent checks . Proving your right to rent How you can prove your right to rent depends on where you’re from. If you’re a British or Irish citizen You can prove your right to rent by showing your passport or your Irish passport card to your landlord. Your landlord may also use a Digital Verification Service to check your passport digitally. If so, you’ll upload a photo of your passport to a secure online platform to verify your identity. Your landlord will tell you how to do this. If you do not have a passport, you may be able to prove your right to rent using other documents . If you’re not a British or Irish citizen If you’ve been given an eVisa, you must get a share code to prove your right to rent. You may be able to create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account to access your eVisa if you have one of the following documents: an expired biometric residence permit ( BRP ) a biometric residence card ( BRC ) a passport containing an ink stamp or a visa vignette sticker If you cannot access your eVisa, you may be able to prove your right to rent using your immigration documents . What your landlord must do Your landlord must: check your documents or carry out a digital right to rent check to make sure you can rent a property in England check the documents or carry out a digital right to rent check of any other adults living in the property keep copies of your documents or evidence of the digital right to rent check - they can keep these for one year after you’ve left the property return your original documents to you once they’ve finished the check Your landlord must let you try to prove your right to rent. They must not discriminate against you , for example because of your nationality. If you cannot prove your right to rent You will not be able to rent property if you cannot provide the acceptable documents. If the Home Office has your documents If the Home Office has your documents, ask your landlord to request a Home Office right to rent check using the Landlord Checking Service ( LCS ) . Give your landlord your Home Office reference number to do the check. If your circumstances mean you can still rent in the UK In some circumstances, you can request permission to rent ( PTR ) even if you’re not allowed to stay in the UK - for example if you’re: a victim of slavery using the Home Office’s voluntary departure scheme Check with the Home Office team that’s dealing with your case. If you’re allowed permission to rent, you’ll have the right to rent for a maximum of 12 months. Follow-up checks You will not have a further check if you stay in the same property and either: you’re a British or Irish citizen you have no time limit on your right to stay in the UK If there’s a time limit on your right to stay in the UK, your landlord will need to check your right to rent again. This is known as a ‘follow-up check’. They’ll do this check after 12 months or just before your permission to stay runs out, if that’s sooner.

Your landlord's safety responsibilities

Your landlord must keep the property you live in safe and free from health hazards. Gas safety Your landlord must: make sure gas equipment they supply is safely installed and maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer have a registered engineer do an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue give you a copy of the gas safety check record before you move in, or within 28 days of the check Electrical safety Your landlord must make sure: the electrical system is safe, for example sockets and light fittings all appliances they supply are safe, for example cookers and kettles Fire safety Your landlord must: follow safety regulations provide a smoke alarm on each storey and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a solid fuel burning appliance (for example a coal fire or wood burning stove) check you have access to escape routes at all times make sure the furniture and furnishings they supply are fire safe provide fire alarms and extinguishers if the property is a large house in multiple occupation ( HMO )

What your landlord must do Your landlord is always responsible for repairs to: the property’s structure and exterior basins, sinks, baths and other sanitary fittings including pipes and drains heating and hot water gas appliances, pipes, flues and ventilation electrical wiring any damage they cause by attempting repairs Your landlord is usually responsible for repairing common areas, for example staircases in blocks of flats. Check your tenancy agreement if you’re unsure. Your responsibilities You should only carry out repairs if the tenancy agreement says you can. You cannot be forced to do repairs that are your landlord’s responsibility. If you damage another tenant’s flat, for example if water leaks into another flat from an overflowing bath, you’re responsible for paying for the repairs. You’re also responsible for paying to put right any damage caused by your family and friends. If your property needs repairs or has mould Contact your landlord if you think your property needs repairs or has mould. Do this straight away for faults that could damage health, for example faulty electrical wiring. Your landlord should tell you when you can expect the repairs to be done. You should carry on paying rent while you’re waiting. Get more information about what to do if your property needs repairs or has mould . If repairs are not done Contact the environmental health department at your local council for help. They must take action if they think the problems could harm you or cause a nuisance to others. Contact the Private Rented Housing Panel ( PRHP ) if you’re in Scotland. If your house is not fit to live in If you think your home’s unsafe, contact housing department at your local council . They’ll do a Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) assessment and must take action if they think your home has serious health and safety hazards. There are different: housing standards and procedures in Scotland housing standards and procedures in Northern Ireland

Your tenancy agreement should include how and when the rent will be reviewed. There are different rules for increasing: protected (sometimes known as ‘regulated’) tenancy rents assured periodic tenancy rents on or after 1 May 2026 When your landlord can increase rent For a periodic tenancy (rolling on a week-by-week or month-by-month basis) your landlord cannot normally increase the rent more than once a year without your agreement. For a fixed-term tenancy (running for a set period) your landlord can only increase the rent if you agree. If you do not agree, the rent can only be increased when the fixed term ends. General rules around rent increases For any tenancy: your landlord must get your permission if they want to increase the rent by more than previously agreed the rent increase must be fair and realistic, which means in line with average local rents How your landlord must propose a rent increase If the tenancy agreement lays down a procedure for increasing rent, your landlord must stick to this. Otherwise, your landlord can: renew your tenancy agreement at the end of the fixed term, but with an increased rent agree a rent increase with you and produce a written record of the agreement that you both sign use a ‘Landlord’s notice proposing a new rent’ form, which increases the rent after the fixed term has ended Your landlord must give you a minimum of one month’s notice (if you pay rent weekly or monthly). If you have a yearly tenancy, they must give you 6 months’ notice.

You can apply to a tribunal to decide on certain rent disputes in England. What you can apply to a tribunal about depends on what type of tenancy you have . There are different ways to: solve rent disputes in Scotland solve rent disputes in Wales solve rent disputes in Northern Ireland Rent increase Your landlord needs to follow the correct process to increase your rent. The rules are different depending on whether you have: an assured or assured shorthold tenancy an assured periodic tenancy after 1 May 2026 You can only apply to a tribunal if your rent has been increased through the ‘section 13 process’. If it has, you’ll get a ‘section 13 notice’ from your landlord which will tell you more about applying to the tribunal. You must apply before the new rent is due to start. New rental terms You can ask the tribunal to decide new rental terms. If you think your rent is high when you start a tenancy You may be able to apply to the tribunal if you think your rent is above the rent for similar properties in the area. Contact Citizens Advice for advice. You must apply within 6 months of your tenancy starting. Rent set by rent officer Contact the Valuation Office Agency if you have a regulated or protected tenancy. If a rent officer has set your rent before, the only way to increase it is to have a rent officer set a new rent. If a rent officer has not set your rent before, they can set a rent limit. The landlord cannot charge more. You can appeal against a rent officer’s decision. They may pass your case to a tribunal, which can make a final decision on the rent.

If you miss your rent payments or are late paying rent, you’re in rent arrears. Your landlord can evict you if you’re in rent arrears. This means you could lose your home. How much notice your landlord has to give you that you’re being evicted for rent arrears depends on the type of tenancy you have . There are different rules for: assured shorthold tenancies assured periodic tenancies after 1 May 2026 excluded tenancies or licences assured and regulated tenancies From 1 May 2026 assured shorthold tenancies will automatically become assured periodic tenancies. If you have an assured shorthold tenancy Your landlord has to give you 2 weeks’ notice if both of the following apply: you’re in rent arrears or often in rent arrears you have an assured shorthold tenancy or an assured tenancy They need to use a ‘section 8’ notice. If you do not leave the property by the end of the notice period, your landlord can apply to the court to evict you. Your landlord can also evict you without giving a reason, whether you’re in rent arrears or not. They need to use a ‘section 21’ notice. From 1 May 2026 landlords will not be able to use a section 21 notice to evict you. They’ll need to use a section 8 notice instead. Your landlord will need to give you at least 2 months to move out before they can apply to take you to court. If your landlord issues you a section 8 and a section 21 notice and they have different eviction dates, you could be taken to court if you do not move out by whichever date is soonest. If your landlord takes you to court to evict you If they’re evicting you with a section 8 notice, they need to prove to the court that you’re in arrears. The court will approve the eviction if your rent is: 2 months late if you pay monthly 8 weeks late if you pay weekly If your rent is not that late, the court will consider whether eviction would be ‘reasonable and proportionate’ when making a decision. The court can decide not to approve the eviction, but set conditions you have to meet to stay in your home. For example: paying your landlord the rent you owe by a certain date paying an amount regularly to clear the arrears not falling into rent arrears again If you have an assured periodic tenancy after 1 May 2026 From 1 May 2026, all assured shorthold tenancies automatically become assured periodic tenancies . Your landlord has to give you 4 weeks’ notice to move out if you are in rent arrears or frequently in rent arrears. They need to use a ‘ section 8 notice ’. If you do not leave the property by the end of the notice period, your landlord can apply to the court to evict you . If your landlord takes you to court to evict you If they’re evicting you with a section 8 notice, they need to prove to the court that you’re in arrears. The court will approve the eviction if your rent is: 3 months late if you pay monthly 13 weeks late if you pay weekly or fortnightly If your rent is not that late, the court will consider whether eviction would be ‘reasonable and proportionate’ when making a decision. The court can decide not to approve the eviction, but set conditions you have to meet to stay in your home. For example: paying your landlord the rent you owe by a certain date paying an amount regularly to clear the arrears not falling into rent arrears again If you have a regulated tenancy or excluded tenancy or licence There are different rules on when your landlord can evict you or take you to court. Help if you cannot afford rent You can speak to a debt advisor for help handling your rent arrears. You can also: get advice from MoneyHelper get advice from Shelter get advice from Citizens Advice Depending on your situation, you may be able to: get help with rent and other housing expenses - for example, Universal Credit get free legal advice from Civil Legal Advice (CLA) get help from your council if you’re at risk of homelessness If you get Universal Credit or Housing Benefit You can apply for a discretionary housing payment to help with your rent. If you get Universal Credit and you’re at least 2 months late on rent, you or your landlord can ask for your rent to be paid straight to your landlord . This is called an Alternative Payment Arrangement (APA). If your landlord takes you to court to evict you If you owe at least 3 months’ worth of rent (meaning you’re in more than 3 months’ arrears), the court may ignore them. They can only do this if both: you have been assessed as entitled to a universal credit element for housing you have not received what you were supposed to get They may decide whether it is reasonable to evict you if you have other arrears. They will consider things like how often you are in arrears and how far behind you are.

You may have to pay a deposit before you move in. On 1 May 2026, all assured shorthold tenancies will become assured periodic tenancies ( APTs ). There’s different guidance on deposits and being asked to pay rent in advance for assured periodic tenancies. The maximum deposit your landlord can ask for is: up to 5 weeks’ rent if the rent for the year is less than £50,000 up to 6 weeks’ rent if the rent for the year is £50,000 or more They can also ask for a holding deposit to reserve a property. This can be up to one week’s rent. If you cannot afford the deposit Contact your local council if you need help paying the deposit. The council can tell you if you’re eligible for: rent or deposit guarantee schemes a discretionary housing payment , if you get Housing Benefit or Universal Credit local schemes to prevent homelessness If you’re on certain benefits you may also be able to get a Budgeting Loan , or a Budgeting Advance if you’re on Universal Credit. Deposit protection There are different rules for protecting deposits if you’re a tenant in a privately rented property in Wales . In England, your landlord must keep your deposit safe using a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme if both of the following apply: you have an assured shorthold tenancy ( AST ) your landlord took your deposit on or after 6 April 2007 Your landlord may still have had to protect your deposit if it was taken earlier. Find out about tenancy deposit protection rules . Getting your deposit back You can get your deposit back at the end of the tenancy if you: meet the terms of your tenancy agreement do not damage the property pay your rent and bills If you do not, your landlord can keep some of the deposit to pay for these things. For example, they could keep the amount of rent you owe or the cost of any repairs. It usually takes 5 to 10 days for your landlord to return your deposit. If you cannot get your deposit back Contact the tenancy deposit protection scheme your landlord used if you have trouble getting your deposit back. For example, if: your landlord will not give your deposit back you cannot get in touch with your landlord to get your deposit you disagree with your landlord about how much of your deposit they’ll pay back If you overpaid your deposit If you paid your landlord or letting agent more than the maximum deposit, you can ask them to give back the amount you overpaid. If they refuse, contact your local council to report them and get help. You can also apply to: the First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber - Residential Property) (if you have a landlord) a redress scheme (if you have a letting agent) You can get free advice on getting back your deposit from Citizens Advice .

Houses in multiple occupation

Your home is a house in multiple occupation ( HMO ) if both of the following apply: at least 3 tenants live there, forming more than 1 household you share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities with other tenants Your home is a large HMO if both of the following apply: at least 5 tenants live there, forming more than 1 household you share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities with other tenants A household is either a single person or members of the same family who live together. A family includes people who are: married or living together - including people in same-sex relationships relatives or half-relatives, for example grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings step-parents and step-children Large HMOs need a licence from the local council. Rules for HMOs The usual rules for landlords and tenants apply to all HMOs - check your rights , your landlord’s safety responsibilities and the rules on repairs . Your local council may have extra rules for your HMO . Contact your local council to check. If you live in a large HMO Your landlord has to make sure the property meets certain standards. Check the standards for large HMOs . How to complain about an HMO Contact your local council to report problems with your HMO . The council is responsible for enforcing HMO standards and can make a landlord take action to correct any problems. When you can claim back rent You may be able to reclaim some of your rent if your landlord has been renting out an unlicensed large HMO . You’ll need to apply to a tribunal to reclaim it. You can contact your local council to check if an HMO is licensed.

Renting as a university student

When you rent a property as a university student, you will either: rent from a private landlord live in halls or private halls If you rent from a private landlord You’re likely to have either: an assured shorthold tenancy before 1 May 2026 an assured periodic tenancy ( APT ) from 1 May 2026 Check the rules your landlord will need to follow if you have an APT . This includes how the tenancy can be ended by you or be ended by the landlord . If you’re living in halls or private halls If you’re living in halls or private halls (also known as purpose-built student accommodation) then you will usually have a common law tenancy or licence. If you live in privately managed halls, your landlord must have signed up to the National Code in order for the tenancy to be a common law tenancy or licence. The National Code sets out additional rules that landlords must follow. This includes complaints processes and how the landlord manages their properties. You can check if your landlord has signed up on the National Code website . If they have not signed up to the code, you will likely have an assured periodic tenancy. Ending a student tenancy if you live in halls and have a common law tenancy or licence Your tenancy in halls will usually last for a fixed period, normally to the end of the academic year. You will be liable for the rent for the whole of that period. Your landlord may let you leave in specific circumstances. You should check your tenancy agreement for your notice period, or contact your landlord. Your tenancy ends when your fixed term ends. If you do not leave, the landlord must apply to the courts to evict you. They cannot force you to leave without doing this. If you break the terms of your tenancy, your landlord may evict you giving the notice stated in your tenancy agreement.

Report antisocial behaviour to the police or to your local council . Your council can take over the management of a property to stop antisocial behaviour. It can also create a ‘selective licensing scheme’ if people in several houses in an area are behaving antisocially. All landlords of properties in that area must then have a licence to show they’re meeting minimum standards.

Changes to a regulated tenancy

There are special rules for changing rents and terms for regulated tenancies (usually starting before 15 January 1989). When your landlord can increase rent Your landlord can only increase the rent up to the registered rent, which is the legal maximum set by a rent officer from the Valuation Office Agency ( VOA ). This is sometimes called ‘fair rent’. Check the register of rents to find out if the rent is registered and how much it is. You or your landlord can ask the VOA to review the rent so that it remains fair, usually every 2 years. You can request it sooner if there’s a major change to the home (for example, repairs or improvements). Fill in the fair rent review form and send it to the address on the form. If your rent increases Your landlord must serve you a notice of increase of rent in writing. It must include details of the changes, for example how much the rent will increase by and when it will start. Your landlord can do this with an official notice of increase form, which they can get from legal stationers. An increase in rent may be backdated to the date of the notice, but it cannot be backdated by more than 4 weeks or to earlier than the date it’s registered. If you think a registered rent increase is too high You can appeal against the VOA ’s decision to increase a registered rent by writing to the rent officer within 28 days of receiving it. You can appeal later but only if you have a good reason for the delay, for example if you’ve been in hospital. The registered rent may be reconsidered by a tribunal - it will make a final decision on the rent limit for the property. Cancel a registered rent Download and fill in an application form to cancel a registered rent and send it to the address on the form (for example, if the tenancy stops being regulated, or you and your landlord agree to cancel it). It may take up to 6 weeks to cancel a registered rent.

Follow these steps if you have a problem with your landlord: Complain to your landlord - they should have a complaints policy that you can follow. Make a complaint to a ‘designated person’ ( your MP , a local councillor or a tenant panel) if you cannot resolve the problem with your landlord. Contact your council or local authority if you and your landlord still cannot resolve the problem.

Private renting

Tenancy types

The rules about what can happen before or during your tenancy depend on what type of tenancy you have. The type of tenancy also changes how you or your landlord can end it.

The most common type of tenancy is an assured shorthold tenancy (AST). On 1 May 2026, all assured shorthold tenancies will become assured periodic tenancies (APTs).

Other types of tenancy include:

excluded tenancies or licences
assured tenancies
regulated tenancies

If you rent a property as a university student, the type of tenancy you have depends on the type of housing you’re living in.

If you do not know which type of tenancy you have, you can check by using Shelter’s tenancy checker.

Assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs)

On 1 May 2026, all assured shorthold tenancies will automatically become assured periodic tenancies (APTs).

A tenancy can be an AST if all of the following apply:

the property you rent is private
your tenancy started on or after 15 January 1989
the property is your main accommodation
your landlord does not live in the property

A tenancy cannot be an AST if:

it began or was agreed before 15 January 1989
the rent is more than £100,000 a year
the rent is less than £250 a year (less than £1,000 in London)
it’s a business tenancy or tenancy of licensed premises
the property is a holiday let
your landlord is a local council

Excluded tenancies or licences

You may have an excluded tenancy or licence if you live in the same property as your landlord and share rooms with them, like a kitchen or bathroom. You’ll usually have less protection from eviction with this type of agreement.

Assured tenancies

Tenancies starting between 15 January 1989 and 27 February 1997 may be assured. You’ll have increased protection from eviction with this type of agreement.

Regulated tenancies

Tenancies starting before 15 January 1989 may be regulated. You’ll have increased protection from eviction and can apply for a ‘fair rent’.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Private renting

Tenancy types

Assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs)

Excluded tenancies or licences

Assured tenancies

Regulated tenancies

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Tenancy types

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