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Move-home guide

What does the Renters' Rights Act change when I move?

Short answer

Since 1 May 2026, most private tenancies in England are rolling. To leave, give your landlord 2 months' notice in writing, and keep paying rent until it ends. When you move in, a landlord can take at most one month's rent in advance, and only after you have both signed.

A holding deposit is capped at one week's rent and a tenancy deposit at five weeks', or six weeks' if the rent is £50,000 to £100,000 a year.

Updated

  • 2 months

    Notice you give to end a rolling tenancy in England

  • 1 month

    Most rent a landlord can take before the tenancy starts

  • 5 weeks

    Deposit cap where the yearly rent is under £50,000

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The Act's first changes took effect in England on 1 May 2026. This guide covers the parts that matter when you move: the notice you give, what you pay before moving in, the bills a landlord can charge and rent rises. Scotland and Wales have their own systems.

How much notice do I give when I move out?

Two months, in writing, on or the day before a rent day.

  • GOV.UK says you can end an assured periodic tenancy by giving 2 months' notice in writing, for example by letter, email or text, on the day rent is due or the day before.
  • You keep paying rent during the notice period. You and your landlord can agree to end the tenancy earlier, or agree a shorter notice period in writing.
  • Fixed-term assured tenancies were banned from 1 May 2026: most private tenancies became rolling ones, which you can stay in until you end them or your landlord gets a possession order.
  • Plan the overlap: rent and bills on the old home run until the notice ends, while the new home's start when you move in.
Sources (2)

What can a landlord ask me to pay when I move in?

One month's rent in advance at most, and capped deposits.

  • Everyone must sign the tenancy agreement before any rent is paid, and a landlord cannot ask for more than one month's rent between signing and the start date. Once the tenancy starts, rent cannot be demanded before it is due.
  • A landlord can still ask you for a guarantor.
  • A holding deposit is at most one week's rent, per tenancy rather than per tenant, and is normally held for up to 15 calendar days unless you agree otherwise in writing.
  • A tenancy deposit is at most five weeks' rent where the yearly rent is under £50,000, or six weeks' where it is £50,000 to £100,000, and the landlord must protect it in a government-approved scheme.
Sources (2)

Can my landlord charge me for bills?

Yes, for utilities, communication services and council tax, as the tenancy sets out.

  • The payments a landlord can charge include payments towards utility bills, communication services and council tax, GOV.UK's guidance on tenancy fees says.
  • Other allowed payments include the rent, the deposits, a fee for late rent, replacing a key or security device, changing the tenancy at your request and leaving without the right notice. A landlord cannot charge any payment not on the list.
  • The tenancy fee rules apply in England only.
  • Check the tenancy agreement for which bills the rent includes before you set any up in your name.
Sources (1)

Can my rent go up after I move in?

Once a year at most, and not in the first year.

  • GOV.UK says a landlord can only increase the rent once a year, and not in the first 12 months of a new tenancy.
  • The landlord must use Form 4A and give you at least 2 months' notice. You can challenge a proposed rise above the market rent at the First-tier Tribunal.
  • Rental bidding is banned: landlords and letting agents must publish the asking rent, and cannot ask for, encourage or accept a higher offer.
Sources (3)

What is the new register of rental properties?

Landlords in England register each let home, region by region, from 15 December 2026.

  • Private landlords renting out a home in England on an assured or regulated tenancy must register it, GOV.UK says. Registration opens region by region from 15 December 2026.
  • The West Midlands registers first, from 15 December 2026 to 14 March 2027, and London from 15 July to 14 October 2027. The South West is last, by 14 November 2027.
  • The landlord pays an annual fee of £65 per property.
Sources (1)

What are the steps when I move between rented homes?

Four steps, from notice at the old home to the bills at the new one.

  1. 1

    Give notice in writing two months ahead

    Give it on the day rent is due or the day before, and keep paying rent until the tenancy ends.

  2. 2

    Sign before you pay any rent

    No rent can be paid before everyone has signed, and no more than one month's rent before the start date.

  3. 3

    Check the deposits are within the caps

    A holding deposit is at most one week's rent; a tenancy deposit at most five weeks', and it must be protected.

  4. 4

    Set up the bills from the start date

    Check which bills the rent includes, then register for council tax and put the other bills in your name.

Sources (3)

Where does Taupia fit when I move?

  • For the bills part of the move, the address block above lists your new home's council tax band and charge, its water company, who supplies the energy and broadband deals. It covers England, Scotland and Wales; in Scotland it shows the council rather than the band.
  • Taupia compares energy, broadband and mobile deals and switches once your household approves. Nothing changes without your approval.
  • Taupia does not set up council tax or switch water, and it does not advise on tenancies: for disputes, use the official routes on GOV.UK.
  • Taupia is free to use.
How Taupia is free to use

The Renters' Rights Act and moving: common questions

How much notice do I need to give my landlord under the Renters' Rights Act?

In England, GOV.UK says you can end an assured periodic tenancy by giving 2 months' notice in writing, for example by letter, email or text, on the day rent is due or the day before. You keep paying rent during the notice unless you and your landlord agree in writing to end sooner.

How much rent can a landlord ask for in advance?

At most one month's rent. Since 1 May 2026, no rent can be paid before everyone has signed the tenancy agreement, and a landlord cannot ask for more than one month's rent between signing and the start date. Once the tenancy starts, rent cannot be demanded before it is due.

How much can a holding deposit be?

One week's rent at most, per tenancy rather than per tenant, GOV.UK says. A landlord can normally hold it for 15 calendar days after receiving it, unless you agree a different period in writing, and can only take one holding deposit per tenancy at a time.

Can my landlord put the rent up straight after I move in?

No. GOV.UK says rent can only rise once a year and not in the first 12 months of a new tenancy. The landlord must use Form 4A and give at least 2 months' notice, and you can challenge a rise above the market rent at the First-tier Tribunal.

Do these rules apply in Scotland and Wales?

No. The changes described here are for private tenancies in England, and GOV.UK's guidance on tenancy fees applies in England only. Scotland and Wales have their own tenancy systems, so check their governments' guidance before you give notice or pay a deposit there.

Money and bills when you rent

GOV.UK's guidance, and the guides for the costs and bills around a move.

Start here

Paying bills on two homes when you move

Recommended

The overlap, an empty home and the date each bill starts and stops.

Official references

Setting up the bills at your new home?

Pick your new address above to see its council tax band and charge, its water company, who supplies the energy and broadband deals, in one list. Taupia is free, and nothing changes without your approval.

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Taupia. "What does the Renters' Rights Act change when I move?". Last updated 1 November 2026. https://taupia.com/move-home/renters-rights-act-moving