Letting agents must be a member of a Client Money Protection Scheme and display who they have client money protection with.

If an agent is not a member of a  Client Money Protection Scheme, please contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline to report them to Trading Standards.

From 1 June 2019 tenant fees are banned for all new tenancy agreements.

From 31 May 2020 this will apply to ALL tenancy agreements, including those in force before 1 June 2019.

The only payments letting agents can charge in addition to the rent, utilities, council tax, communication services and TV licence are:

a) a refundable tenancy deposit capped at no more than five weeks’ rent where the annual
rent is less than £50,000, or six weeks’ rent where the total annual rent is £50,000 or above

b) a refundable holding deposit (to reserve a property) capped at no more than one week’s rent

c) payments to change the tenancy when requested by the tenant, capped at £50, or reasonable costs
 
d) payments associated with early termination of the tenancy, when requested by the tenant

e) A default fee for late payment of rent and replacement of a lost key/security device, where required under a tenancy agreement

If a letting agent is charging fees when they shouldn't, please contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline to report them to Trading Standards.

If you pay a deposit to a letting agent or landlord they must protect it with one of the Government approved deposit protection schemes:

• The Deposit Protection Service
• My deposits
• Tenancy Deposit Scheme

All deposits paid must be protected within 30 days and information will be sent directly to you from the relevant scheme. If your deposit is not protected then you could be entitled to claim up to 3 times the amount back at the end of the tenancy. You also cannot legally be evicted from the property unless an unprotected deposit is returned.

The agency can only put a ‘holding deposit’ towards the first month’s rent, or the security deposit. They have to take any fees separately and are not allowed to deduct them from the holding deposit.

Landlords are required to provide an Energy Performance Certificate for rented accommodation.

Search for an Energy Performance Certificate for your home

Further information on Energy Performance Certificates

The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 requires most private sector landlords to:

• install a smoke alarm on every floor of their property
• install a carbon monoxide alarm in rooms of their properties that use or burn solid fuels
• check that alarms are working at the start of every new tenancy

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations booklet

The following professional bodies can provide further information:

• The Association of Residential Letting Agents
• The National Approved Letting Agent Scheme
• The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
• The UK Association of Letting Agents
• The London Landlord Accreditation Scheme
• Safeagent
• CM Protect