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In England the law limits how much a landlord or letting agent can ask you to pay before you move in. There is a cap on the tenancy deposit, a cap on the holding deposit and, since 1 May 2026, a limit on rent paid in advance. Here is what each one allows.
A tenancy deposit can be no more than five weeks' rent where the yearly rent is under £50,000, or six weeks' rent where it is £50,000 or more. A holding deposit can be no more than one week's rent.
Working out a week's rent
The Tenant Fees Act works out a week's rent as the yearly rent divided by 52. For a monthly rent, multiply by 12 first, then divide by 52.
| Rent a month | A week's rent | Most the deposit can be | Most the holding deposit can be |
|---|---|---|---|
| £900 | £207.69 | £1,038.46 | £207.69 |
| £1,200 | £276.92 | £1,384.62 | £276.92 |
| £1,500 | £346.15 | £1,730.77 | £346.15 |
| £2,000 | £461.54 | £2,307.69 | £461.54 |
| £4,500 | £1,038.46 | £6,230.77, six weeks | £1,038.46 |
The six-week cap starts at £4,167 a month, which is £50,000 a year. Tenancies with rent over £100,000 a year are outside the Tenant Fees Act altogether.
The holding deposit
A holding deposit reserves the property while checks are done. The landlord has 15 days to agree the tenancy, unless you agree a different date in writing. If the tenancy goes ahead, the holding deposit is usually put towards the first rent or the deposit. If it does not, it must be returned within 7 days, unless you gave false information, pulled out, did not respond to reasonable requests or failed a Right to Rent check. If the landlord keeps it, they must tell you why in writing within 7 days.
Rent in advance since 1 May 2026
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 changed the rules on rent paid upfront for tenancies from 1 May 2026. A landlord cannot ask for or accept rent before you have signed the tenancy agreement. After you sign, they can ask for no more than one month's rent before the tenancy starts. The deposit caps themselves did not change.
Your deposit must be protected
- The landlord must put your deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of getting it. In England and Wales the schemes are the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme.
- Within the same 30 days they must give you the scheme details and how to get your deposit back.
- At the end of the tenancy, the deposit must be returned within 10 days of you both agreeing how much you get back.
- If you cannot agree, the scheme offers a free dispute service.
- If the deposit was not protected, a court can order the landlord to pay you up to three times the deposit.
If you are asked for too much
Anything over the caps is a banned payment and has to be refunded. You can raise it with the landlord or agent, contact your local council, which enforces the rules through Trading Standards, or apply to the First-tier Tribunal to get the money back.
These rules are for England. Scotland and Wales have their own rules on deposits and fees.
Check your own deposit
The tenancy deposit cap calculator shows the most you can be asked for at your rent and whether a deposit is over the limit. The rent affordability calculator shows how much rent your income supports.
Sources: Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 1; GOV.UK, Tenant Fees Act 2019: guidance for tenants, Renters' Rights Act overview for tenants, Tenancy deposit protection and Deposit protection schemes and landlords. Checked 1 November 2026.
This is general information, not financial or tax advice.
It explains published rules and figures. Your own position depends on your full circumstances,
so speak to a qualified adviser before acting on it.