How to rent Guide in England: The checklist

This guide is for tenants and landlords in the private sector to help them understand their rights and responsibilities when renting a property. This guide is for people who are renting a home privately under an assured shorthold tenancy, either direct from a landlord or through a letting agency like Rooftop Living.

Key questions before you start

Is the landlord or letting agent trying to charge any fees?
How much is the deposit? If the total annual rent is less than £50,000, the maximum deposit is 5 weeks’ rent. If the annual rent is £50,000 or above, the maximum deposit is 6 weeks’ rent.
How long do you want the tenancy for? The landlord must allow you to stay in the property for a minimum of 6 months. However, it is possible to negotiate a longer tenancy.
How much rent you can afford to pay?
Are you are entitled to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit?
Which area you would like to live in?
How you are going to look for a rented home?
Do you have your documents ready?
Do you have the right to rent property in the UK?
Will you need a rent guarantee?

Ways to rent a property in England

Direct from the landlord
Through a letting agent like us

Things to check when you looking for your new home

Check that the tenancy deposit you’re being asked for is not more than 5 weeks’ worth of rent (where annual rent is less than £50,000) or 6 weeks’ rent (where annual rent is more than £50,000);
If the landlord asks for a deposit, check that it will be protected in a government approved scheme.
Contact your local authority for advice;
You may be required to pay a non-refundable fee up-front (often equivalent to one week’s rent) and/or a monthly payment for the duration of your tenancy;
The length of tenancy is usually a fixed period of 6 or 12 months. If you want more security, it may be worth asking whether the landlord is willing to agree to a longer period;
Check if there are any rules about pets and smoke inside the property;
Check who is responsible for bills such as electricity, gas, water and council tax. You or the landlord?
Check you are happy with fixtures and fittings;
Landlords must have at least one smoke alarm installed on every storey of a property they let out;
Check that the property is safe to live in. Your property must be safe, healthy and free from things that could cause serious harm;
Check who your landlord is; Landlords are obliged to provide you with this information and the rent is not ‘lawfully due’ until they do so;

Permitted fees are as follows:

Rent
A refundable tenancy deposit capped at no more than 5 weeks’ rent, or 6 weeks’ rent;
A refundable holding deposit capped at no more than 1 week’s rent;
payments associated with early termination of the tenancy (when requested by the tenant);
Payments capped at £50 (or reasonably incurred costs, if higher) for the variation, assignment or novation of a tenancy
Payments in respect of utilities, communication services, TV licence and Council Tax
A default fee for late payment of rent and replacement of a lost key/security device giving access to the housing, where required under a tenancy agreement

Banned Fees

Any charge for viewing the property;
Any charge for setting up the tenancy or contracts;
Check out fees, and any charge for leaving the property;
Third-party fees, any charge for anything that is done by someone other than the landlord or tenant but that the landlord must pay for;

What to do when you’ve found a place to rent

Make sure you have a written tenancy agreement and read it carefully;
Agree on an inventory (or check-in report) with your landlord before you move in and, as an extra safeguard, make sure that you take photos;
Remember to take meter readings when you move in. This will help make sure you don’t pay for the previous tenant’s bills;
Make sure that you have the correct contact details for the landlord or letting agent;

The landlord must provide you with:

A copy of ‘How to rent: the checklist for renting in England’ guide;
A gas safety certificate;
Deposit paperwork;
The Energy Performance Certificate;
A record of any electrical inspections;
Evidence that smoke alarms and any carbon monoxide alarms are in working order at the start of the tenancy;

Tenant obligations

Pay the rent on time;
Pay any other bills that you are responsible for;
Look after the property;
Be considerate to the neighbors;
Not take in a lodger or sub-let without checking whether you need permission from your landlord;

Landlord obligations

Maintain the structure and exterior of the property;
Ensure the property is free from serious hazards from the start of and throughout your tenancy;
Fit smoke alarms on every floor and carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with appliances using solid
fuel and make sure they are working at the start of your tenancy. If they are not there, ask your landlord to install them;
Deal with any problems with the water, electricity and gas supply;
Maintain any appliances and furniture they have supplied;
Carry out most repairs;
Arrange an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe engineer;
Arrange a 5-yearly electrical safety check by a qualified and competent person;
Seek your permission to access your home and give at least 24 hours’ notice of proposed visits.
Neither the landlord nor the letting agent is entitled to enter your home without your express permission.
Get a license for the property if it is a licensable property.
Ensure the property is at a minimum of EPC energy efficiency band E (unless a valid exemption applies);

At the end…

At the end of the fixed period, if you want to stay, you should you wish to extend your tenancy after any initial fixed period;
If you or the landlord want to end the tenancy, there are things that both landlords and tenants must do:
Giving notice: It is a legal requirement for landlords to give you proper notice if they want you to leave, and they can only legally remove you from your home with a court order.
If you want to end the tenancy: Your tenancy agreement should say how much notice you must give the landlord if you want to leave the property.
At the end make sure that your rent/bill payments are up to date. This might have an impact on your references and credit rating.
Clean the house
Return the keys
If things go wrong, most problems can be resolved quickly and easily by talking to your landlord or letting agent.

Rooftop Living is one of the best student & professional letting agents in Leeds. More than 30 years after buying our first student property, we now oversee a multi-million-pound international portfolio of properties. We have the largest portfolio of luxury student options in Leeds. Contact us today!