A new How To Rent guide has been issued today by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The How to Rent guide has been updated with advice on how to access free legal aid services, advice and support, regardless of financial circumstances.

This guide is for tenants and landlords in the private rented sector to help them understand their rights and responsibilities. It provides a checklist and more detailed information on each stage of the process, including:

  • what to look out for before renting
  • living in a rented home
  • what happens at the end of a tenancy
  • what to do if things go wrong

This is the most up to date version of the Guide. It incorporates all changes detailed in the update history below.

Letting agents acting on behalf of landlords must issue the latest version of the guide at the start of any new tenancy and on renewal if there has been an update to the contents of the guide. It forms part of the prescribed information landlords must issue, and if they do not, they lose the right to repossess using Section 21.