The short answer
No, not in your own name. Both portals sell advertising to agents, not to the public. A private landlord who wants to appear on them goes through someone who is an agent: an online letting agent that sells a portal listing for a fixed fee, or a high-street agent on a tenant-find service. Everything else about the let you can still run yourself.
What the portals themselves say
- Rightmove. Its help article for homeowners and private landlords (modified 19 November 2025, read 20 October 2026) says it has no UK private property listings at all, that advertisers must be estate or letting agents registered with Companies House and members of a redress scheme, and points landlords to its Find Agent search
- Zoopla. Its membership criteria (read 20 October 2026; the page carries no date) say it does not accept advertising from private vendors or landlords, or from websites or services publishing adverts on their behalf, and that agents must not provide a “listing only” service
So any route onto those sites runs through a business that is, for that purpose, your agent. Read what it does for its fee, and whose name the listing goes out under.
The routes a private landlord actually has
- An online letting agent. OpenRent’s pricing page (read 20 October 2026) lists a free advert on OpenRent only, and Portal Advertising at £29 including VAT, which covers OpenRent, Zoopla and up to 100 or more partner sites, described in its FAQ as £29 for four months on the property portals. Listing on Rightmove is an optional upgrade on top, at £70 on the same page. Other online agents sell portal listings too; check each one’s own price page
- A high-street agent on let-only. The agent lists on the portals, takes the calls and usually does the viewings and referencing, for a one-off fee. The letting agent fees page linked below sets out what agents publish
- Free channels. Social media marketplaces, classified sites, room-share sites and local groups. The guide to advertising a rental for free covers them and their limits
- Your own listing. A LetCompliance advert has a public page on its to-let listings and a link you can post anywhere, with Apply and Request a viewing on it
Is a Rightmove listing worth paying for?
It depends on the home and the area. In a busy rental market a well-photographed free listing often fills the viewing diary in days. For a higher rent, a rural property or a slower month, the portals’ reach can earn its fee. A sensible order: get the photos, description and rent right, list free for a few days, then pay for portal reach if enquiries are thin. A weak advert on Rightmove is still a weak advert.
What every advert must say
GOV.UK’s guide to rental bidding (read 20 October 2026) says a written advert must include the rent as a specific amount, with no price range, and that you or your agent cannot ask for, encourage or accept an offer higher than the advertised rent. A first offence can bring a fine of up to £7,000. This applies to a portal listing, a social media post and your own link alike.
What to do when the enquiries come in
The listing is the easy part. What follows decides whether you let to the right person:
- Answer fast, and the same way each time. Send each enquirer the property’s application link so their details arrive in one list rather than spread across emails and portal messages
- Screen on paper first. Income against the rent, move-in date, who will live there, pets
- Book viewings in blocks rather than one at a time
- Reference the person you choose, with their permission, and check their right to rent
- Then the agreement, the deposit and the move-in documents
How LetCompliance does it
- The advert. Written once with the rent, which is required, the EPC rating, photos and a checklist of the material information to include. It goes public on the to-let listings or by link. Copy the advert as text and download the photos to post on any other site, including through an online agent
- Applications. Every enquiry through your listing or the application link lands in one list: review it, invite to view, ask for a holding deposit, order a reference, and turn the chosen applicant into the tenant. Applications come with every plan, the free plan included
- Viewings. Booked from the application. The applicant confirms or offers other times by email, gets a reminder on the day, and you mark who attended
- Referencing. A full reference is £24.99, paid per check on any plan
- Someone to show the home. The accompanied viewings service is £49 a viewing in the areas it covers, and the order form takes a listing link from Rightmove, Zoopla, OpenRent or your own advert
Adverts and viewings come with the 3-day trial and every paid plan, from £7.99 a month.
Common mistakes
- Paying for a portal listing before the photos and description are ready
- Advertising a rent range, or inviting offers
- Letting enquiries pile up in three inboxes and answering the loudest first
- Choosing on a viewing and a handshake, then referencing as an afterthought
- Assuming the online agent does more than list. Check whether viewings and referencing are included or extra
How do private landlords get on Rightmove?
Through an agent: an online letting agent that adds Rightmove to its listing for a fee, or a high-street agent. Rightmove itself does not take private listings.
Can I list on Zoopla for free?
Not directly. OpenRent’s Portal Advertising, which includes Zoopla, was £29 including VAT on its pricing page on 20 October 2026; its free advert appears on OpenRent only.
Where can I advertise my property for rent for free?
On free classified and marketplace sites, local groups, OpenRent’s own site, and your own listing link. The blog guide to advertising for free compares them.
Do I need Rightmove to find a good tenant?
No. A good tenant comes from a clear advert at the right rent and careful checks afterwards. Reach matters less than what you do with each enquiry.
What LetCompliance does not do here
- It has no feed to Rightmove, Zoopla or any other portal, and is not an agent that lists for you
- Enquiries made on a portal stay there until you send the person your application link
- Accompanied viewings cover a limited area, not the whole country
- Adverts and viewings are not on the free plan
