fpmanagement

Logo
Menu

Tenants Fee

Banned letting agent fees:

Landlords and letting agents cannot charge for things like:

  • References
  • Administration
  • Credit and immigration checks
  • Renewing your tenancy when your fixed-term contract ends

 

Most tenancy-related fees are banned

Banned letting agent fees
Tenancy

Which types of tenancy are covered?

The tenancy fees ban covers fees charged to:

  • Assured shorthold tenants
  • Property guardians
  • Student lettings
  • Lodgers living with a private landlord

 

The tenancy fees ban also covers fees charged to guarantors.

If you've been charged a banned fee:

Your landlord cannot give you a section 21 notice if they’ve charged a banned fee unless they refund your money. This will not apply if it was an agent who charged the fee.

Report it to trading standards:

Trading standards can investigate and fine your landlord or agent if they charge a banned fee. If they break the rules more than once, they could be prosecuted by the council and banned from renting out properties in the future.

Get the fee back through a tribunal:

If the landlord or agent does not refund the fee, you can apply to the first tier tribunal to get your money back. Trading standard can advise or assist with the process.

What you can still be charged for?

Fees can only be charged in the following situations:

Late rent payments:

You can only be charged a late payment fee once you’re 14 days late with rent. The late payment fee must be mentioned in your agreement and you cannot be charged more than 3% APR above the Bank of England base rate.

Lost keys or fobs:

You can be charged the reasonable costs of a replacement if this is mentioned in your tenancy agreement.
You can only be charged by either your landlord or agent, not both.

Locksmith-Services
Stay go

Ending your tenancy early:

Your landlord or agent can charge you if they agree to let you end your tenancy early or leave without notice. This can only cover loss incurred by your landlord or your agent’s reasonable costs.

Changing or transferring your tenancy:

You can be charged up to £50 to change a term in your tenancy or transfer it to someone else. This includes the situation where you find a replacement tenant who then signs a new agreement with landlord.

Transferring-tenancy-to-someone-else-banner

Other costs of renting:

There are limits on how much you can be charged for a,

  • Holding deposit – Up to 1 week’s rent.
  • Tenancy deposit – Up to 5 weeks’ rent.


There’s no limit on how much rent in advance a landlord can ask for but it’s illegal to disguise extra fees by calling it rent in advance.
Your landlord can still charge you gas, electricity and water if they provide these. They cannot charge you more than they pay the supplier.

Note: If You Break A Term In Your Contract, For Example By Causing A Damage, Your Landlord Can Still Try And Claim The Costs Back Through The Courts.