Guides · Tenants
Letting agent fees: what's legal and what isn't
The Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans almost every fee a letting agent used to charge tenants. Here's exactly what's left.
Why this exists
Fees used to add hundreds of pounds to moving in
For years, tenants could be charged admin fees, viewing fees, referencing fees, and all sorts of miscellaneous charges just to secure a home — often on top of the deposit and rent. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 banned nearly all of it. If a letting agent asks you for anything not on the permitted list below, they're breaking the law.
Banned outright
What an agent can no longer charge a tenant
Admin fees
Charged just for processing your application. Banned outright.
Viewing fees
Charged to view a property before applying. Banned outright.
Referencing fees
Charged to run identity, income or previous-landlord checks. Banned outright — the agent covers this cost themselves now.
Check-out fees
Charged at the end of a tenancy for an inventory or check-out visit. Banned outright.
The permitted list
What you can still be charged
| Permitted | Detail |
|---|---|
| Rent | As agreed and advertised — no bidding above the listed price |
| Deposit | Capped at 5 weeks' rent (6 weeks if annual rent exceeds £50,000) |
| Holding deposit | Capped at 1 week's rent, credited against your tenancy deposit if you proceed — your first month's rent is still payable in full |
| Late rent | Interest only, after 14 days late, capped at 3% above Bank of England base rate |
| Lost keys | Reasonable, evidenced replacement cost only |
Everything else is banned by law — you'll never be asked for it here.
If an agent asks anyway
What to do
Ask what it's for, in writing
A genuine agent should be able to point to exactly which item on the permitted list a charge falls under. If they can't, it's not a legal charge.
Report it to Trading Standards
Tenant Fees Act breaches are enforced by local Trading Standards, and can carry fines of up to £5,000 for a first offence.
Treat it as a warning sign
An agent charging banned fees is telling you something about how they'll handle the rest of the tenancy too.