Renting in London, explained properly
Deposits, contracts, referencing and moving day: what the law says, and what actually happens.
Landlord Ombudsman: How London Tenants Complain and Win
The Renters' Rights Act promises a free, binding landlord ombudsman with awards up to £25,000, but membership is not compulsory until 2028. Here is what the scheme will do, and the three routes that already work for London tenants today.
Read guideLegalLandlord Selling Up: Ground 1A Notices and Your Options
A Ground 1A notice to sell takes a flat off the rental market for about sixteen months, and many landlords serving them have not worked that out. Here is how to check the notice line by line, what to ask the agent in writing, and what a rent repayment order is worth if the flat reappears on Rightmove.
Read guideLegalSection 21 Is Gone: How to Check Your Eviction Notice
Section 21 ended on 1 May 2026, and every possession claim now runs through Section 8 with a named ground. This is how to check whether the notice you have been served is valid, starting with your deposit.
Read guideLegalHow to Win a London Deposit Dispute: Evidence That Works
Cleaning accounts for nearly 30% of deposit claims, yet only about 1% of protected deposits reach adjudication. This guide sets out which deductions fail on the evidence, what to put in your evidence pack, and the deadlines that give tenants leverage.
Read guideLegalLondon Rent Repayment Orders: Claim Back Up to a Year's Rent
Rent repayment orders let London tenants ask a tribunal to order back up to two years' rent from a landlord who committed a qualifying offence, with no conviction needed. This guide covers the 1 May 2026 rule changes, the offences that qualify, the evidence to gather and the £114 application fee.
Read guideLegalLandlord Says They're Selling: How to Test Ground 1A
A Ground 1A notice locks a landlord out of the lettings market for up to sixteen months, whether or not the sale happens. Here is how to check the notice for the four defects that make it invalid, test the sale claim for £3, and report a breach of the re-letting ban.
Read guideLegalSection 8 Evictions in London: Which Grounds Hold Up
Section 21 ended on 1 May 2026, and every possession claim in London now has to name a statutory ground with conditions the landlord must prove. This guide sets out the notice periods, the 12-month protected period, the Ground 1A restricted period and what a defective notice looks like.
Read guideLegalOne Month Upfront: What London Agents Can Legally Demand
Since 1 May 2026 a London agent can take one month's rent plus a deposit of no more than five weeks on signing, and offering to pay more does not make it lawful. This guide sets out the exact day-one figures at ONS London rents, the four workarounds agents are using, and how to report a prohibited payment to the council.
Read guideLegalWin Your London Deposit Back Under the New Tenancy Rules
Section 21 abolition removed the old defence for unprotected deposits, leaving the Section 214 penalty claim in the county court as the main remedy, worth one to three times the deposit. This guide covers checking the three schemes, the five and six week caps, betterment and apportionment arguments, and how to fund a new deposit while the old one is still held.
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