News from 9 July 2026
Read the current guide to tenancy rules in England.
Updated Tenant Fees Act guidance for England clarifies the wording on guarantors and explains permitted payments. The detail helps landlords and tenants understand which costs can be charged when arranging or managing a tenancy.
What the guidance says tenants can be charged
The GOV.UK guidance lists the main payments that can be required from a tenant. These include rent once a tenancy agreement has been signed, a refundable tenancy deposit, a refundable holding deposit, agreed utility or communication payments, a charge for a tenant-requested tenancy change, a payment where a tenant leaves without giving the correct notice, and limited default fees.
For most private tenancies, the deposit cap remains a key point. The guidance says the maximum tenancy deposit is up to five weeks’ rent where annual rent is below GBP50,000, or up to six weeks’ rent where annual rent is between GBP50,000 and GBP100,000. Holding deposits are capped at one week’s rent and are normally held for 15 days unless a different period is agreed in writing.
Default fees also need care. The guidance says any default fees expected from the tenant must be included in the tenancy agreement. It identifies replacement keys, security devices or fobs, and late payment of rent as the relevant examples. For late rent, interest can only be charged once the rent is at least two weeks overdue, and the rate is capped at 3% above the Bank of England base rate.
The guarantor wording is the newest change
The latest GOV.UK update, dated 7 July 2026, says new advice has been added for guarantor agreements entered into before 1 May 2026. The guidance says the terms of those agreements may be affected by tenancy reforms included in the Renters’ Rights Act.
It also says guarantors should consider reviewing existing agreements and obtaining the landlord’s consent to any variations that may be required. Where a tenant or guarantor is unclear whether an agreement is affected, the guidance says they may wish to seek independent legal advice.
Use the updated guidance when checking a guarantor agreement. If a tenancy has rolled on, been varied, moved into a new statutory framework or had a guarantor agreement signed before the May changes, it is worth checking that the documents still do what they are intended to do. A landlord using an agent should also ask how the agent is handling legacy guarantor wording.
