Can my landlord charge me fees?

No — most fees charged by landlords and letting agents are illegal under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. This law has been in place since 2019 and still applies in full alongside the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

Landlords and agents cannot charge you for: referencing, credit checks, administration, inventory checks, professional cleaning (unless you leave the property in a state that genuinely requires it), or anything not on the permitted list.

The only payments that are allowed are: your rent; your tenancy deposit (capped at five weeks' rent); a holding deposit (capped at one week's rent); charges for late rent payment (after 14 days, capped at 3% above Bank of England base rate); a charge for replacing a lost key or security device; and changes to the tenancy you request, capped at £50.

If a landlord or agent charges you an illegal fee, report it to your local council's trading standards team. You may be entitled to a refund, and they can face a fine of up to £5,000 for a first offence and an unlimited fine for repeat offences.

If you've been charged fees when you moved in and you're not sure if they were legal, make a list of what you paid and get it checked by Citizens Advice (citizensadvice.org.uk).