Practical writing for tenants.
Tenant playbooks, market data and plain-English law explainers — the stuff you wish you had the day your rent letter arrived.
- Tenant playbook7 MIN READ11 May 2026
How to respond to a rent increase letter (with free template)
What to do in the 48 hours after your landlord proposes a rent increase — including a copy-paste reply template and the deadlines you can't miss.
Read post - Law explainer9 MIN READ11 May 2026
The Renters' Rights Act 2025, explained for tenants
The big reform to private renting in England, in plain English. What's changed, what hasn't, and what it means for you the next time your landlord proposes an increase.
Read post - Market data7 MIN READ11 May 2026
London average private rent in 2026 (ONS) — and every UK region compared
ONS figures for 2026: London median £1,495/mo for a 1-bed flat, £1,800 for a 2-bed. Full tables for every English region and major city — plus how to check whether your own rent is above the local band.
Read post - Law explainer8 MIN READ25 May 2026
How much can a landlord increase rent in the UK in 2026?
No statutory cap, no 'X% rule' — but the Renters' Rights Act 2025 sets real procedural limits and a tribunal route that bites harder than it used to. The honest answer for England in 2026.
Read post - Law explainer7 MIN READ25 May 2026
What counts as a 'fair' rent increase?
'Fair' has no legal definition in England. Tribunals decide on local open-market rent — not inflation, not CPI. Here's how that calculation actually works, and how to apply it before your next renewal.
Read post - Tenant playbook9 MIN READ25 May 2026
How to apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a rent dispute
Step-by-step guide to challenging a Section 13 rent increase at the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) in England. Form MR1 or the gov.uk online service, no solicitor required, and under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 the tribunal can only confirm or lower the rent.
Read post - Market data8 MIN READ25 May 2026
Average rent in London 2026, borough by borough (ONS data)
ONS April 2026 figures: median 2-bed flat rent and the lower/upper quartile band for every London borough. Useful for negotiations and Section 13 comparisons.
Read post - Deposits6 MIN READ27 May 2026
How long does my landlord have to return my deposit?
The 10-day rule explained — what it actually means, when the clock starts, and what to do if your landlord drags their feet. Plus what 'agreed' really means under each UK deposit scheme.
Read post - Deposits7 MIN READ27 May 2026
What can a landlord legally deduct from your deposit?
Cleaning, damage, rent arrears, missing items — which deductions a UK landlord can actually take from your deposit, and which are commonly disallowed at scheme adjudication.
Read post - Deposits8 MIN READ27 May 2026
My landlord didn't protect my deposit — what now?
Unprotected deposit compensation explained. The 30-day deadline, the one-to-three-times penalty, how to bring a small-claims case in the County Court, and what the RRA 2025 changed.
Read post - Tenant playbook7 MIN READ27 May 2026
How to ask your landlord to reduce your rent (letter + email template)
Free copy-paste letter and email templates for asking your landlord for a rent reduction, the market evidence to attach, and what to do with each of the three replies you might get.
Read post - Deposits5 MIN READ27 May 2026
Holding deposit vs tenancy deposit — what's the difference?
A short explainer of two payments tenants confuse all the time. What a holding deposit is, the one-week cap, when it's refundable, and how it converts (or doesn't) into your tenancy deposit.
Read post - Law explainer6 MIN READ27 May 2026
Rent increase notice period in the UK — how much notice is required?
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 set the statutory minimum notice for a Section 13 rent increase at two months. Here's the full picture — by tenancy type, by route, and what counts as 'notice' served properly.
Read post - Law explainer6 MIN READ3 Jun 2026
How often can a landlord increase rent in the UK?
Once every 12 months — and only by following the Section 13 process. The frequency rules under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, including what counts as 'a year' and what happens if your landlord tries twice.
Read post - Tenant playbook6 MIN READ3 Jun 2026
Can a new landlord raise my rent? Your rights when the property changes hands
Your tenancy survives the sale. A new landlord steps into the old one's shoes — including the Section 13 rules, the deposit, and the notice clock. What to check the day you get the email saying your landlord has changed.
Read post - Law explainer5 MIN READ3 Jun 2026
Is it legal to raise rent without notice in the UK?
No — and a Section 13 rent increase without proper notice is defective. What counts as 'notice', what an informal email isn't, and the three options open to you if your landlord tries to skip the rules.
Read post - Tenant playbook6 MIN READ12 Jun 2026
Rent tribunal near me — where your rent case is actually heard
There's no local rent court in England — one national tribunal handles every Section 13 challenge, mostly on paper. The five Property Chamber regional offices, which one covers your postcode, and why your deadline matters more than the address.
Read post - Tenant playbook8 MIN READ12 Jun 2026
What happens at a rent tribunal hearing? The process, the timeline, and the worst case
Most Section 13 challenges are decided on the papers — no courtroom, no solicitor. What the panel looks at, the stage-by-stage timeline (8–16 weeks), what a video hearing is actually like, and why the RRA 2025 capped the downside at zero.
Read post - Tenant playbook6 MIN READ25 Jul 2026
How to counter-offer a rent increase (with example script)
A rent increase is an opening position, not a verdict. How to make a counter-offer your landlord will take seriously — the number to pick, an example script, and what to do if they say no.
Read post - Tenant playbook6 MIN READ25 Jul 2026
Can you negotiate rent in the UK? Yes — here's how
Rent is negotiable in the UK — before you sign, at renewal, and even mid-tenancy. When negotiation actually works, how to do it with an estate agent in the middle, and the evidence that changes the answer from no to yes.
Read post - Law explainer8 MIN READ3 Aug 2026
Student renters and the Renters' Rights Act: your rights in 2026/27
Private student houses and HMOs in England now run on the same rules as every other tenancy — no fixed terms, capped rent in advance, and Section 13 for increases. Which student housing is covered, what Ground 4A really requires, and the checklist for your house.
Read post - Tenant playbook6 MIN READ3 Aug 2026
Can my landlord increase rent on a student house?
Yes — but only by Section 13 notice, with two months' warning, once a year. Why the 'rent goes up in January' clause in your student contract is unenforceable, how joint tenancies change the maths, and what to do as a house when a notice arrives.
Read post - Market data7 MIN READ3 Jun 2026
Why are UK rents going up in 2026? The ONS data and the drivers behind it
Rental price growth ran above wage growth for most of 2025. The ONS numbers for early 2026 show where the pressure is worst, what's driving it (supply, BTL exits, mortgage costs), and what it means for tenants facing renewal.
Read post - Market data9 MIN READ7 Aug 2026
Rent tribunal success rate: we analysed 5,779 real decisions (2018–2026)
In 59% of measurable cases the tribunal set the rent below the landlord's proposal — a median cut of 9.3%, about £100 a month (£1,200 a year). The full data: outcomes by region and year, how much tribunals cut, and the pre-2026 'rent raised' risk the Renters' Rights Act abolished.
Read post - Market data8 MIN READ8 Aug 2026
What evidence wins at the rent tribunal? Data from 3,158 real cases
Tenants who submitted their own comparable rents won 73% of measured cases, against 60% for those who didn't. Condition evidence, inspections and hearings all move the outcome — here's what the decisions themselves show, and the exact evidence checklist to copy.
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