The Tenant Fees Act 2019 limits what an agent or landlord can ask a tenant in England to pay. Here's the complete list of payments we may ever request from you, with the legal cap on each. Anything not listed below, we can't charge.
One week's rent
Paid when your application is accepted, this reserves the property in your name while we reference you. It's offset against your first month's rent if the let proceeds. If it doesn't proceed for a reason that's our or the landlord's fault, it's returned in full. If you withdraw, provide false information, or fail a Right to Rent check, it may be retained, and we'll always explain the reason in writing within seven days.
Up to 5 weeks' rent
For lets where the annual rent is under £50,000, the deposit is capped at five weeks' rent (six weeks if the annual rent is £50,000 or more). Paid on signing, registered with the DPS Custodial Scheme within 30 days, and returned (less any agreed deductions) at the end of the tenancy.
One month's rent
Paid in cleared funds before keys are handed over. If you're moving in mid month, we'll pro rata the part month so your subsequent payments fall on the same date each month.
Charges that may arise if something specific happens during the tenancy. Each is capped by the Tenant Fees Act and only applies where it's genuinely incurred, never as a flat fee.
3% above Bank of England base rate, per day
Only applies if rent is more than 14 days late and only on the unpaid portion. Charged at 3% above the Bank of England base rate, calculated daily until the rent is paid. We'd much rather get a phone call about a one off slip than charge anyone interest.
Replacement cost only
If you lose a key or fob, you pay the actual replacement cost: usually a few pounds for a standard key, more for restricted profile keys or electronic fobs. If a lock change is required for security, you pay the locksmith's invoice at cost. No admin mark up.
£50 inc VAT
If you'd like to change something during the tenancy (add a new sharer, get pet permission, vary a clause) there's a capped admin fee of £50 inc VAT for our work on the paperwork. This cap is set by the Tenant Fees Act and we can't exceed it even if the work is unusually complex.
Landlord's reasonable loss only
If you ask to end the tenancy early and the landlord agrees, you'd pay the rent until a new tenant moves in, plus reasonable remarketing costs. We negotiate this fairly. The goal is to leave you no worse off, and the landlord no worse off, than if the original term had run.
The Tenant Fees Act 2019 prohibits agents and landlords charging tenants for any of the following. If you're ever asked, you can refuse, and you can report it to your local trading standards authority.
Within 30 days of receipt your deposit is protected in the Deposit Protection Service (DPS) Custodial Scheme. You'll receive certificate details by email. Keep them safe.
At the end of the tenancy, if you and the landlord agree any deductions, the deposit is returned via the DPS within ten working days. If you don't agree, the DPS Alternative Dispute Resolution service makes a free, binding independent decision, and you don't need a lawyer to use it.
Scheme details
The categories of permitted payment are set in law (the Tenant Fees Act 2019). The specific amounts within each category (for example, the £50 amendment fee) are statutory caps, meaning no agent in England can charge more than these. Within the caps, we charge what it actually costs us to do the work, which is often less than the legal maximum.
Because that's the maximum allowed under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. Before April 2019, holding deposits were typically a month's rent or more. Parliament capped them at one week's rent to make the rental market more affordable for tenants moving in.
Only if the annual rent is £50,000 or more, in which case the cap rises to six weeks' rent. The deposit is never more than that. Even on a high value let, deposits cannot exceed six weeks. Lets with annual rent of £100,000 or more are exempt from the cap entirely but in practice this almost never applies in Cambridgeshire villages.
Only what's reasonable and evidenced. Typical deductions are unpaid rent, agreed costs of repairing damage beyond fair wear and tear, agreed costs of cleaning where the property isn't returned in check in condition, and any agreed costs of removing belongings left behind. The original inventory and check in report are the reference point throughout. If you disagree with proposed deductions, the DPS adjudicates for free.
It can be, but it doesn't have to be. Under the Renters' Rights Act 2026 the landlord can only increase rent once every twelve months, and only via a Section 13 notice giving you at least two months' notice. You're free to negotiate or to challenge an increase at the First tier Tribunal if you consider it above market.
No. These are landlord obligations and the cost is borne entirely by the landlord. You're entitled to a copy of the gas safety certificate within 28 days of inspection and the EPC at the start of the tenancy.
We won't. If you ever feel a payment doesn't fit the list above, ask us in writing what permitted payment category it falls under and we'll either explain or refund it. Charging a prohibited fee is a breach of the Tenant Fees Act 2019 with civil penalties up to £30,000 for repeat offences. There's no incentive for us to ever try.
More tenant resources: renting with us A to Z · reporting a repair · available properties
Drop us an email or call the office. We'd much rather answer a question now than have it become a doubt later.
A note about cookies.
We use cookies to understand how the site is used and to show you relevant adverts on Meta and Google. You can change this any time from the link in our footer. See our privacy notice for the detail.
