What fees can a letting agent charge me?

Short answer

Very few. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans administration, set-up and renewal fees. The permitted payments are rent, a refundable deposit capped at five weeks’ rent, a holding deposit of one week’s rent, and limited default charges. Anything else is reclaimable — report persistent charging to Trading Standards.

Before June 2019, tenants routinely paid for referencing, "administration", inventories and renewals. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 swept those away in England: unless a payment is on the permitted list, charging it is unlawful.

What can lawfully be charged

Rent.
A refundable security deposit, capped at five weeks’ rent where the annual rent is under £50,000 (six weeks above that).
A holding deposit of no more than one week’s rent, to reserve a property.
Limited default charges — for example a lost key or genuinely late rent — plus payments for utilities, council tax and communication services where the tenancy provides for them.
Payments to end the tenancy early at your request, and to vary the agreement at your request, both capped.

Everything else is a prohibited payment. That includes tenancy renewal fees, admin or set-up fees, and non-refundable pet deposits — a landlord must use the ordinary capped deposit to cover pet damage. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 allows a landlord to require pet insurance, but not an extra deposit.

Getting your money back

Your holding deposit must be returned within 15 days unless you failed the Right to Rent check, gave false or misleading information, or withdrew from the application.

Write to the landlord or agent, identify the payment and the date, and demand repayment within a set deadline.
If refused, apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for a repayment order — you do not need a solicitor.
Report the charge to your local Trading Standards team, which enforces the Act and can impose financial penalties on repeat offenders.

One historic sanction has changed in effect: a landlord holding an unlawfully charged payment could not serve a valid Section 21 notice, but Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026, so the practical remedies are now repayment through the tribunal and enforcement by Trading Standards. Note also that fees paid under agreements predating the Act’s commencement — 1 June 2019 for new tenancies, 1 June 2020 for existing ones — are not recoverable under it.

Read the full guide: Tenant Fees Act: What Landlords Cannot ChargeCovers eligibility, the process, deadlines, and next steps in depth.

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