Advance Rent

Advance rent is any rent payment required before the tenant moves in, beyond the first month's rent.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 caps advance rent:

Maximum advance rent: one month

• You cannot require more than one month's rent in advance
• This is in addition to (not instead of) the tenancy deposit
• The deposit cap remains at 5 weeks' rent (or 6 weeks for rent over £50,000/year)

What this means:

• Maximum upfront payment = 1 month rent + 5 weeks deposit
• For a £1,500/month rent: £1,500 + £1,731 = £3,231 maximum
• You cannot request 3, 6, or 12 months upfront

Implications:

• Cannot use advance rent to offset referencing concerns
• International tenants may need guarantors instead
• Higher risk tenants may need additional safeguards (guarantors, rent guarantee insurance)

• Requesting excess advance rent is a breach of the Act
• Civil penalties up to £7,000 for initial breaches
• Civil penalties up to £40,000 for serious or repeated breaches
• Tenants may be able to recover excess payments