Tenant Rights Guide

Only for actual, evidenced losses. Your deposit belongs to you — the landlord holds it as security against unpaid rent or damage beyond fair wear and tear. Any deduction must be justified with receipts, quotes or invoices, and the burden of proof sits with the landlord if the dispute goes to the scheme's adjudicator.

Unpaid rent, unpaid bills that are the tenant's responsibility, cleaning to the standard the property was let in (not better), and damage beyond fair wear and tear. Betterment is not allowed — the landlord cannot use your deposit to upgrade the property.

If your deposit was not protected in an approved scheme within 30 days of receipt, or the prescribed information wasn't served, you may be entitled to compensation of between one and three times the deposit — in addition to the return of the deposit itself. This is a powerful bargaining tool and a defence to a section 21 notice.

Reject the deductions in writing, ask for evidence, and open a free dispute with the deposit scheme. The scheme's adjudicator decides on the paperwork alone, so your inventory, photos and correspondence are what win the case.

There is no fixed statutory deadline, but the scheme rules and case law expect return within around 10 working days of an agreed figure. If the landlord is silent, chase in writing and, if necessary, raise a scheme dispute — the money is released once the adjudicator decides.

A section 21 notice can only be relied on where it applies to your tenancy — under the Renters' Rights reforms, section 21 has been abolished for tenancies within scope. Where it does still apply, it must be on the correct form, use a lawful notice period, and be served only after the landlord has met deposit protection duties and provided a valid EPC, gas safety certificate and How to Rent guide. Any gap in these can invalidate the notice.

A section 8 notice relies on one or more statutory grounds (for example rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, or the landlord selling). Different grounds carry different notice periods and different levels of judicial discretion. Some grounds are mandatory if proved; others are discretionary and defensible.

No. Except in very narrow common-law licence situations, only a court bailiff acting on a possession order and warrant can lawfully remove you. Anything short of that — changing the locks, removing your belongings, cutting off utilities — is an offence under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.

The notice period depends on the type of notice, the ground relied on, and when the tenancy was granted. Section 21 (where still available) requires at least two months. Section 8 notice periods range from immediate (for the most serious anti-social behaviour grounds) up to several months.

Do not sign anything, do not leave, and keep the original envelope. Photograph the notice front and back and note the date it arrived. Get the notice checked for defects — invalid notices are common, and even valid ones do not end your tenancy without a court order.

Inside a fixed term, only if the agreement contains a valid rent-review clause — and only in line with what it says. Outside a fixed term, on an assured tenancy, the landlord must use the section 13 procedure: the prescribed form, in writing, no more than once a year, giving at least one month's notice (longer under the Renters' Rights reforms where they apply).

There is no statutory cap on the amount — but a section 13 increase must reflect open-market rent for a similar property in the area. If the proposed rent is above market, you can challenge it and the tribunal may set a lower figure.

Yes. If you receive a section 13 notice, you can refer it to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the new rent starts. The tribunal cannot set the rent higher than the landlord proposed, so there is limited downside to a well-supported challenge.

For a statutory section 13 increase, at least one month for a monthly tenancy — with longer periods once the Renters' Rights reforms apply. The notice must be on the prescribed form; anything else is not a valid statutory increase.

If the notice is a valid section 13 notice and you neither challenge it at the tribunal nor start paying the new amount, the new rent becomes payable and arrears begin to accrue. The right response is either to negotiate, to pay under protest and challenge, or to refer to the tribunal — not silence.

Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires the landlord to keep in repair the structure and exterior, and the installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, space heating and hot water. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 additionally requires the property to be fit for human habitation throughout the tenancy. These duties cannot be contracted out of.

Put the request in writing, keep a dated record of every report, photograph the disrepair, and if it is serious, report it to your local council's environmental health team. Councils can serve improvement notices under the Housing Act 2004 that legally compel the landlord to act.

Where disrepair has been reported and not remedied within a reasonable time, tenants can bring a claim for damages — typically a percentage reduction of rent for the period of disrepair, plus damages for damaged belongings and inconvenience.

This is one of the most misunderstood areas of housing law. Withholding rent creates arrears and exposes you to eviction. There is a narrow set-off doctrine that allows the cost of repairs the tenant has carried out to be deducted, but only in tightly defined circumstances and with strict prior notice — take advice before relying on it.

Damp and mould, leaks, broken heating or hot water, electrical faults, structural defects, pest infestation caused by disrepair, and anything else that makes the property unsafe or not fit for habitation.

Conduct by the landlord (or their agent) that is likely to interfere with the tenant's peace or comfort, or persistent withdrawal of services, done with intent to cause the tenant to leave or to refrain from exercising a right. That includes repeated unannounced visits, verbal abuse, threats, or targeted disruption of utilities.

No. Even with a right of access clause, the landlord must give at least 24 hours' written notice and visit at a reasonable time — and the tenant can refuse a specific time. Repeated unannounced entry is a breach of the covenant of quiet enjoyment and can amount to harassment.

Threats designed to make you leave without a court order are themselves potentially unlawful. Only the courts can order possession; only bailiffs can enforce it.

Every incident — date, time, what was said or done, who was present, any photos or recordings. Contemporaneous notes are strong evidence. Save all messages and voicemails.

Your local council's Tenancy Relations Officer (or equivalent), the police if there is a threat of violence or criminal damage, and Shelter's emergency helpline. Serious cases can be prosecuted by the council.

No. Changing the locks to exclude a tenant without a court order is a criminal offence under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. The tenant has a right to be readmitted and to compensation.

Cutting off gas, electricity, water or heating with the intention of forcing the tenant to leave is an offence. Report it to the police and to the council's Tenancy Relations Officer.

Yes — for almost every residential tenancy in England and Wales. The lawful route is: valid notice, possession order from the county court, and then a bailiff's warrant. Anything else is unlawful.

You have the right to re-enter the property, to be reinstated, to compensation for unlawful eviction (including a statutory measure that can be substantial), and to police assistance if the landlord obstructs re-entry.

Immediately: the police (101, or 999 if there is a threat), your council's Tenancy Relations or Housing Options team, and Shelter's emergency helpline on 0808 800 4444.

Under the Renters' Rights reforms, tenants have a strengthened right to request a pet, and landlords must not unreasonably refuse. The reasonableness test looks at the specific pet, the property and the tenancy — a blanket ban is unlikely to be reasonable.

The tenant makes a written request, the landlord must respond within a set period, and refusal must be for a reason that is reasonable in the specific circumstances. The landlord may require insurance to cover potential pet damage.

Additional pet rent or pet deposits are heavily restricted by the Tenant Fees Act 2019 in England. The landlord can require pet insurance instead — that is permitted and often the practical answer.

Yes — a written pet request that references the Renters' Rights reforms, offers pet insurance, and describes the animal and its history is usually the most effective approach.

Break clauses, guest and pet restrictions, rent-review mechanics, replacement-tenant fees, cleaning obligations at checkout, and any clause that shifts a landlord's statutory duty onto the tenant. The strongest negotiating position is before signing.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a term is unfair if, contrary to good faith, it causes a significant imbalance between the parties to the detriment of the tenant. Terms that purport to exclude a landlord's non-excludable statutory duties, or that impose disproportionate penalties, are commonly unenforceable.

Not unilaterally once the tenancy has started. A variation requires the tenant's agreement (or a valid statutory route such as a section 13 rent increase). Being asked to sign a fresh agreement mid-tenancy is a variation — read it carefully.

The parties, the address, the rent and deposit, the term and break clause, notice periods, repair obligations, access rights, pet and guest terms, rent-review mechanics, and any fee that might breach the Tenant Fees Act 2019.

In a fixed term, you can leave on the end date without notice, or earlier only if there is a break clause and you have complied with it. In a periodic tenancy, give the notice period specified in the agreement or by statute — always in writing and always dated.

Attend the checkout, agree the inventory in writing, provide a forwarding address, and ask for the return of the deposit in full. If deductions are proposed, use the deposit scheme's free dispute service.

The property must be returned in the condition it was let in, allowing for fair wear and tear. Professional cleaning cannot be required as a condition unless the property was professionally cleaned at the start of the tenancy — and a receipt exists to prove it.

The check-out inventory is compared against the check-in inventory. Photograph everything, disagree in writing with any assessment you dispute, and keep copies of meter readings.