Housing

Steps

1. Prepare your file before viewing. The landlord may ask you for ID, proof of income (payslips, statements), references from former landlords and, in Scotland, a credit check with your written consent. Without a UK history, a guarantor (guarantor) may be requested.
2. England: the right to rent check. The landlord must check all adults before the tenancy starts, British citizens included (they are not allowed to check only foreigners). If your right to stay is time-limited, the check is done within the 28 days before you move in. This check does not exist in Scotland (mygov.scot says so clearly); the gov.uk page only provides for it in England.
3. England: no bidding, no excessive advance. Since 1 May 2026, the advert must show a specific rent and the landlord cannot accept an offer above it. They cannot take anything before signing, then at most 1 month's rent in advance.
4. Sign the contract and check what you must be given. England: written information on the essential terms for any tenancy that began after 1 May 2026, and the official Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 for existing tenancies (to be provided before 31 May 2026). Wales: the written statement (the written contract) within 14 days of moving in. Northern Ireland: the free Tenancy Information Notice within 28 days.
5. Have your deposit protected and keep the proof. England and Wales: within 30 days (DPS, mydeposits or TDS). Scotland: within 30 working days of the start of the tenancy (Letting Protection Service Scotland, mydeposits Scotland or SafeDeposits Scotland), with written information on the scheme chosen. Northern Ireland: within 28 days, written information within 35 days.
6. Do an inventory check with photos when you move in. The landlord may keep part of the deposit for unpaid rent, bills or damage, not for normal wear and tear.
7. Register for council tax (local tax) with your local council: it is generally the occupier who pays it (see UK-IMPOTS-TOUS-001). In Northern Ireland, it is domestic rates.
8. To leave, respect the notice period. England: 2 months in writing (letter, email or text message), given on the rent day or the day before. Scotland: at least 28 days in writing. Wales: at least 4 weeks (a fixed-term tenancy generally cannot be ended early). Northern Ireland: at least 4 weeks (12 weeks if the tenancy has lasted more than 10 years).

Documents

• Passport (or identity card for the procedures that accept it).
• Proof of your right to stay: eVisa and share code taken from your UKVI account (England). Irish citizens prove their nationality with their passport.
• Proof of income: employment contract, payslips, bank statements.
• References from former landlords, and possibly a guarantor.
• After signing: the contract or the written information, the deposit protection certificate, the gas safety certificate and the energy performance certificate (EPC).

Costs and timelines

• England (rules in force since 1 May 2026):
  • security deposit: 5 weeks' rent at most if annual rent is below £50,000, 6 weeks between £50,000 and £100,000;
  • holding deposit (holding deposit): 1 week's rent at most, per property and not per tenant, in principle for 15 days;
  • rent in advance: 1 month at most, after signing;
  • permitted fees: change to the tenancy at your request (£50 at most, more if justified), lost key, rent more than 2 weeks late (charges capped at 3 points above the Bank of England base rate, on the overdue amount), leaving without the right notice (at most the rent the landlord would have received with the right notice), utility bills provided for in the tenancy; all other fees are prohibited (admin, viewing, inventory…). Fine for the landlord: up to £5,000, then £30,000 for a repeat offence within 5 years;
  • rent increase: once a year at most, with the Form 4A and 2 months' notice, which can be challenged if it exceeds the market price; no increase during the first 12 months of a new tenancy;
  • return of the deposit: at most 10 days after agreement on the amount.
• Scotland: deposit of 2 months' rent at most; rent in advance of 6 months at most; non-refundable holding deposit, key money and credit check fees prohibited; rent increase once in any 12-month period, with 3 months' notice on the official form, no legal cap, which can be challenged with Rent Service Scotland within 21 days. If the deposit is not protected, the tribunal (First-tier Tribunal for Scotland, Housing and Property Chamber) can order the landlord to pay you up to 3 times the deposit, during the tenancy or within 3 months after it ends.
• Wales: administration, viewing, inventory, signing or renewal fees prohibited for tenancies since 1 September 2019; holding deposit of one week's rent at most. Cap on the security deposit: the 2019 Welsh letting fees law leaves it to regulations (a "prescribed" limit), and the official Welsh guides read (gov.wales) give no amount: to be confirmed with the Welsh government or your local council before paying a deposit.
• Northern Ireland: deposit of one month's rent at most; rent increase prohibited within 12 months of the start of the tenancy or the last increase (since 1 April 2025), with 3 months' written notice. Unprotected deposit: the council can fine the landlord an amount equal to 3 times the deposit.

Common pitfalls

• Paying before viewing or signing. In England, a landlord is no longer allowed to take rent before signing. Gov.uk advises checking who you are dealing with and checking the bank details before any transfer. In case of a scam, tell your bank straight away, then report it: in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, on Report Fraud (reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040), the City of London Police service that replaced Action Fraud on 4 December 2025; in Scotland, to Police Scotland on 101 (999 in an emergency) or at a police station.
• Believing old advice about section 21. Since 1 May 2026 in England, the landlord must give a legal ground (sale, taking the home back to live in it, rent arrears, behaviour…), generally with 4 months' notice, and cannot sell or take the home back for themselves during your first 12 months. A tenancy signed on that date or after has no end date.
• Not checking deposit protection. Ask for the name of the scheme and check yourself that your deposit is registered there.
• Being refused because you have children or receive benefits. This is prohibited in England (since 1 May 2026) as in Scotland. In England, you can also ask to keep a pet: the landlord must consider your request and give reasons for a refusal.
• Scotland: relying on the landlord's notice without checking it. For most grounds, 84 days' notice is required if you have been there for 6 months or more (28 days otherwise, or for certain grounds linked to your behaviour). Only the tribunal can order you to leave.
• Wales: signing without a written contract. The landlord must give you the written statement within 14 days; a "no-fault" notice cannot be given during your first 6 months and requires at least 6 months' notice.
• Forgetting that the landlord may live abroad. If you pay £100 or more a week directly to a landlord who lives outside the United Kingdom, contact HMRC: you may have to withhold tax on the rent (non-resident landlord scheme).

What changes by country of origin

• EU, EEA and Swiss citizens: in England, you prove your right to rent with your eVisa (EU Settlement Scheme status or visa) and a share code. Without status or a visa, an English landlord cannot rent to you (see UK-SEJOUR-TOUS-001).
• Irish citizens: no eVisa; your Irish passport is enough for the right to rent check.
• All: no rental rule depends on nationality in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland according to the pages read; the landlord chooses their tenant, in compliance with the ban on discrimination.