A tenant checking light and storage at a viewing4:5
01
Work out what you can afford
Rent is only part of the monthly cost. Work out the whole figure before you start viewing, so a property you like is one you can actually keep.
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The advertised rent, and what it does and does not include.
Council tax, energy, water and broadband, unless the agreement says otherwise.
The deposit and any holding deposit you will need up front.
What the advert must tell you
The rent, the deposit and the property's energy rating are all published with the listing. Ask what is included in the rent rather than assuming.
Money you need at the start
A holding deposit to reserve the property, then the tenancy deposit and the first rent payment once you sign. All three are capped or controlled by law, and each is explained at the stage it applies.
Costs through the year
Council tax, utilities and contents insurance are normally yours unless the tenancy agreement states otherwise. Contents insurance covers your belongings; the building is the landlord's responsibility.
02
View the property and ask questions
A viewing is where you find out how a home actually lives. Photographs are taken to show a property at its best, and they cannot tell you about light, noise or storage.
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See it in daylight if you can, and look at every room.
Ask what is included, who manages repairs and how to report one.
Check the energy rating, the council tax band and any parking arrangement.
Questions worth asking
Who manages the property day to day, how repairs are reported, whether the rent includes anything, what the parking arrangement is, and whether any works are planned.
The energy rating
The property's energy performance certificate is published with the listing and gives an A to G rating. It uses standard occupancy assumptions, so it indicates efficiency rather than predicting your bills.
Take your time
There is no advantage in rushing. A second viewing before you commit is normal and reasonable.
If you want the property, you can offer to rent it. A holding deposit reserves it while the checks are carried out.
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A holding deposit is capped at one week's rent for the proposed tenancy.
It is one deposit for the property, not one per applicant.
A landlord cannot accept or encourage offers above the advertised rent.
1 weekHolding deposit cap
What a holding deposit is for
It reserves the property while referencing and the Right to Rent check are completed. It is a deposit, not a fee, and it is normally put towards your first rent or your tenancy deposit.
The cap
One week's rent for the proposed tenancy is the statutory maximum, and it is per property rather than per applicant.
When it is returned
There are specific rules about when a holding deposit must be refunded and the limited circumstances in which it can be kept. Ask for the reason in writing if it is not returned.
Rent cannot be bid up
Since 1 May 2026 a landlord cannot accept or encourage an offer above the advertised rent, so there is nothing to be gained by offering more.
04–06
Checks and signing
The checks a landlord or agent must make, what you sign, and what you pay at the start.
The tenancy agreement signed at the office desk4:5
04
Referencing and Right to Rent
Before a tenancy starts, a landlord or their agent carries out checks. None of these can be charged to you.
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Everyone aged 18 and over living at the property must have a Right to Rent check.
You cannot be charged for referencing or for the Right to Rent check.
Have identity, address and income documents ready to avoid delay.
Right to Rent
The check confirms that an adult occupier can legally rent a home in England. It applies to everyone aged 18 or over living at the property, including people who are not named on the tenancy agreement, and it is carried out before the tenancy begins.
Who is responsible
The legal responsibility sits with the landlord. Where a landlord has instructed an agent to carry out the check, the agent may complete it on the landlord's behalf under that agreement.
Referencing
A landlord or agent may ask about your income, your employment and your renting history, and may ask for a guarantor. Neither referencing nor the Right to Rent check can be charged to a tenant.
Documents to have ready
Photographic identity, proof of your current address, and evidence of income such as payslips or accounts. Having them ready is the single biggest thing you can do to keep the process moving.
05
Sign the tenancy agreement
The tenancy agreement is the contract. Read it before you sign, because it sets out what you are agreeing to for as long as you live there.
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No rent can be asked for, encouraged or accepted before you sign.
After signing, you can be asked for a maximum of one month's rent in advance.
New assured tenancies are periodic and run on a rolling basis.
Rent in advance
A landlord cannot ask for, encourage or accept a payment of rent before the tenancy agreement is signed. Once it is signed, the maximum that can be asked for in advance is one month's rent.
Periodic tenancies
Most existing assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026, and it is no longer possible to have an assured tenancy with a fixed end date. A periodic tenancy runs on a rolling basis, for example monthly.
Read before you sign
Check the rent and when it is due, what the agreement says about utilities and council tax, the rules on keeping pets and decorating, and how repairs are reported.
Keep a copy
Keep the signed agreement and every document you are given. They are what you refer back to if anything is disputed later.
06
Deposit protection and moving in
Your tenancy deposit is capped, and it must be protected in a government-approved scheme.
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Five weeks' rent where annual rent is below £50,000; six weeks from £50,000 to £100,000.
The deposit must be protected within 30 days of being received.
You must be given the prescribed information about where it is protected.
5–6 weeksTenancy deposit cap
The cap
A tenancy deposit is capped at five weeks' rent where the annual rent is below £50,000, and six weeks' rent where the annual rent is between £50,000 and £100,000.
Protection
Your landlord or letting agent must put the deposit into an approved tenancy deposit scheme within 30 days of receiving it, and must give you the prescribed information about where it is held.
The inventory
Check the inventory carefully when you move in, photograph anything already damaged, and return your comments promptly. It is the record the deposit is measured against at the end. You cannot be charged for the inventory itself.
Getting it back
Once you and the landlord agree how much is returned, the deposit must be repaid within 10 days. If you cannot agree, the scheme holds the money and offers a free adjudication service.
07–08
Living there and leaving
Rent, repairs, and how the tenancy and the deposit come to an end.
Keys handed back at the front door on move-out day4:5
07
During the tenancy
Most of a tenancy is routine: rent on time, repairs reported promptly, and a written record of anything that matters.
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Report repairs as soon as you notice them, in writing where you can.
Keep rent payments on time and keep the receipts or statements.
Contact the emergency services first if there is any risk to safety.
Repairs
Report a repair through the repairs route in the Dukes Receptionist. If there is a fire, a gas leak, a serious electrical fault, a flood or any risk to safety, contact the emergency services first: this website is not monitored.
Rent
Pay as set out in the agreement and keep the record. A late-rent charge is only permitted where the agreement provides for it, only once rent is at least 14 days overdue, and only up to 3% above the Bank of England base rate on the amount overdue.
Changing the tenancy
If you ask to change the tenancy, for example to add or replace a tenant, a charge of up to £50 is permitted, or the reasonable costs actually incurred if those are higher and can be evidenced.
Put it in writing
Email or message rather than relying on a conversation. A written record is what settles a disagreement quickly.
08
Ending the tenancy and getting your deposit back
You can end an assured periodic tenancy by giving notice in writing. The deposit is returned through the scheme that holds it.
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Give two months' notice in writing to end an assured periodic tenancy.
The notice takes effect on, or the day before, a rent due date.
Deposit disputes are decided by the scheme's free adjudication service.
Your notice
Since 1 May 2026 you can end an assured periodic tenancy by giving two months' notice in writing, for example by letter, email or text, on the day the rent is due or the day before.
Leaving early
If you leave without giving the required notice, what can be charged cannot exceed the rent the landlord would have received had proper notice been given.
Check-out
You cannot be charged for a check-out inspection or for an inventory comparison. Leave the property as the agreement requires and take dated photographs when you go.
The deposit
Once the amount is agreed it must be returned within 10 days. If it is not agreed, the scheme holds the money and its free adjudication service decides. You cannot be charged for mandatory professional cleaning.
1 May 2026In force
Renters' Rights Act
The rules changed on 1 May 2026.
Most private tenants now have an assured periodic tenancy. These five changes shape the journey above.
01No fixed end date
Most assured tenancies now run on a rolling basis.
02No rent before signing
Rent cannot be requested, encouraged or accepted before the agreement is signed.
03One month in advance
After signing, no more than one month's rent can be required in advance.
04No rental bidding
A landlord cannot accept or encourage an offer above the advertised rent.
05Two months' notice
A tenant can end an assured periodic tenancy by giving notice in writing.
A tenancy agreement stamped and dated 1 May 20263:2
General information for private renting in England, not legal advice. Your agreement and circumstances may affect what applies.
Quick answers
The answers people usually need first.
No hidden answer and no plus icon. Read the short answer here, then jump to its place in the journey if you need more.
The lettings team member who answers these questions4:5
Still unsure?
The same team that answers these five questions can talk through your specific situation directly.
Can I be charged for referencing or a Right to Rent check?
No. Referencing, Right to Rent checks, tenancy set-up, renewal, inventories, check-out, deposit registration and mandatory professional cleaning cannot be charged to a tenant in England.
Report it in writing as soon as you can. If there is a fire, gas leak, serious electrical fault, flood or any risk to safety, contact the emergency services first.
The homepage film is supplied concept footage. Its location, authorship and licence are unconfirmed, it is not represented as Dukes property or Dukes-shot material, and it is not cleared for public release.
1 May 2026