Tenant Fees Act 2019
Legislation banning most fees charged to tenants in England. Permitted payments are limited to rent, a refundable tenancy deposit (capped at 5 or 6 weeks), a holding deposit (1 week), default fees, tenant change fees and early termination fees. Breaches carry fines up to £30,000.
At a glance
- Bans
- Most fees charged to tenants
- Permitted
- Rent, deposit, holding deposit, defaults, change, early termination
- Max fine
- £30,000
Full guide
Read the complete landlord guide on Tenant Fees Act 2019
Deadlines, fines and step-by-step compliance in our in-depth resource.
Open full guideWhy Tenant Fees Act 2019 matters for landlords
Fee bans were the most consumer-facing PRS change of 2019 and tenant-advocacy organisations still actively police them. An unlawful "admin fee" embedded in a letting-agent’s onboarding invoice is the landlord’s problem too — councils pursue the landlord when the agent is uncooperative, and a £30,000 fine is doubled on repeat.
Worked example
A landlord in Manchester uses a letting agent who quietly charges new tenants a "£250 referencing and admin fee" in 2026. The landlord assumes the agent is operating lawfully. Six months in, a tenant raises a complaint with the council; Trading Standards traces the fee back to the agent’s template and serves enforcement on both agent and landlord. First offence is up to £5,000; the council escalates to £30,000 because the agent had been warned in 2024. The landlord is jointly liable because the property was let in their name; the agent agreement does not transfer regulatory liability. The fix is a quarterly review of the agent’s tenancy-start invoice list.
Illustrative scenario based on real UK landlord casework patterns. Names and addresses are fictitious.
Common Tenant Fees Act 2019 mistakes UK landlords make
- Allowing an agent to charge tenants any fee not on the permitted list (rent, deposit, holding deposit, default fees, change-of-tenant fees, early termination).
- Charging a "renewal fee" — banned outright since 2019, even when called "admin fee" or "extension fee".
- Holding more than one week’s rent as a holding deposit — the cap is strict and any overage must be refunded inside 7 days.
- Assuming the Tenant Fees Act applies to the agent only — the landlord is jointly liable for prohibited charges in their property.
What to do this week
- Request your letting agent’s standard tenant-charge schedule and check every line against the permitted-fees list.
- For any holding deposit collected, confirm it does not exceed one week’s rent and is refunded or applied within 15 days.
- Audit your last 12 months of agent invoices for prohibited charges and reclaim or refund any overages.
- Add a contractual term in your agent agreement requiring written confirmation of compliance with the Tenant Fees Act.
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Official sources
LetCompliance editorial reviews this entry every quarter against the sources above. Always confirm specific duties with a qualified solicitor or your local council.
Related terms
Awaab's Law
Provisions extending to the private rented sector under the Renters Rights Act 2025 that set strict timescales for landlords to investigate and remedy hazards such as damp and mould. Named after Awaab Ishak. Breach can lead to tenant compensation and enforcement by the local housing authority.
Council Tax
The tax charged on residential property by the local authority. Tenants are usually liable while the property is let as their main residence. Landlords become liable during void periods and for most HMOs (where each tenant has their own AST).
Disrepair
A property condition falling below legal standards under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 or the Decent Homes Standard. Tenants can sue for damages and specific performance, and a valid disrepair claim is a complete defence to a possession claim.
Fitness for Human Habitation
The standard set by the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Every rented home must be fit for habitation at the start of the tenancy and throughout. Tenants can sue the landlord directly for breach, without involving the local authority.
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (Section 11)
The cornerstone repair-obligation statute for residential lets in England and Wales. Section 11 implies into every short-term residential tenancy a landlord obligation to keep in repair the structure and exterior of the property, and to keep in repair and proper working order the installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, space heating and water heating. Cannot be contracted out of. Breach is the basis for tenant disrepair claims and Awaab’s Law SLA enforcement under the Renters Rights Act 2025.
Rent Repayment Order (RRO)
A First-tier Tribunal order requiring a landlord to repay up to 12 months’ rent (24 months under the Renters Rights Act 2025 for some offences) for specified housing offences: unlicensed HMO, breach of selective licensing, illegal eviction, harassment, failure to comply with an Improvement Notice or Banning Order. Sought by the tenant or, separately, by the local council. Triggered without needing a criminal conviction — the tribunal applies the criminal standard of proof to the underlying offence, then orders repayment.