Tenants guide

Benham and Reeves provides a professional lettings service to Tenants. If you are looking to rent a property in London, our lettings team will ensure everything goes smoothly, from helping you find the perfect property to moving into your new home. And of course, you’ll be reassured to know that you’re in safe hands as we are an ARLA Propertymark (Association of Residential Letting Agents) registered lettings agency.

1. Finding the right property

We can show you the best rental properties across London’s prime residential areas, many of which are available exclusively through us. You can register with us by calling one of our lettings offices or alternatively, go to www.benhams.com to register for email alerts of new properties as soon as they become available.

2. Tenancy

Types of tenancy: the Tenancy Agreement covers all the terms negotiated and agreed through Benham and Reeves on behalf of you and the Landlord. This also includes the statutory obligations of each party. Once drawn up, the contract is then signed by each party and exchanged.

Assured Periodic Tenancy (APT): most tenancies are APTs, where the rent is less than £100,000 a year, the Tenant is an individual or group of individuals, and the property is occupied as the Tenant’s only or principal home. An APT has no fixed term – it runs on a rolling monthly basis and continues until either party brings it to an end in accordance with the law.

Contractual Tenancy: if the rent is over £100,000 a year, the Tenant is a company, or the property is not the Tenant’s only or principal home, a Contractual Tenancy will be used. The period of the tenancy will be as agreed between the parties.

3. Tenancy agreement charges

For APTs there are no costs for the preparing and executing of a Tenancy Agreement. For Contractual Tenancies please speak with our offices to discuss what charges apply.

4. Holding deposit

If you plan to rent one of our properties, we will ask you to pay a holding deposit. If the tenancy goes ahead, that money will be put towards the initial payment of rent. Your deposit will be held for not more than 15 calendar days unless expressly agreed by both parties that the amount can be held for a longer period of time.

If you subsequently withdraw, materially provide false or misleading information, fail your immigration check or fail to move in on the agreed date, your holding deposit will be forfeited. If the Landlord pulls out for any other reason than those stated above, we will return your holding deposit to you.

The purpose of the holding deposit is to:

• show you are willing to move into the property on an agreed date; and
• enable us to proceed with references; and
• enable us to take the property off our availability list.

5. Identification required under UK immigration legislation

Under the Government’s Right to Rent legislation, we have a legal duty to check that every applicant has a valid right to rent in the UK. Right to Rent checks must be carried out on all Tenants and any other adult occupiers who will be living at the property, regardless of whether they are named on the tenancy agreement. Every such person must provide evidence of their right to rent. This can be done by presenting original documents in person at our office, or via the Home Office online checking service where a share code is available. We cannot accept previously certified copies where original document checks are required. It is vital that you provide the necessary evidence as soon as possible as we are unable to produce a tenancy agreement until checks have been completed.

6. References

We will need to obtain suitable references for all Tenants including bank, credit, employer and previous Landlord references. We may use a professional referencing agency to undertake this work on our behalf.

7. Anti-money laundering and financial sanctions

We are required by law to carry out financial sanctions checks on all Tenants, Landlords and guarantors before a tenancy can proceed, regardless of the level of rent. This includes screening all parties against the UK Financial Sanctions List. Where the monthly rent is €10,000 or more, we are additionally required under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 to carry out full customer due diligence (CDD), including verifying identity and address by way of official documentation.

If a tenancy requires a guarantor, that person will be subject to the same AML and sanctions screening as the Tenant. We may request certified copies of identification documents and proof of address from guarantors before the tenancy agreement can be executed.

We are obliged to report to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) if we know or have reasonable cause to suspect that any party is a designated person or has breached financial sanctions regulations. Failure to provide the required documentation may delay or prevent the tenancy from proceeding.

8. Rent

For Assured Periodic Tenancies, rent is payable monthly in advance. Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, landlords cannot request more than one month’s rent in advance. For Contractual Tenancies, the payment frequency will be as agreed between the parties and set out in the tenancy agreement. After the first payment, you MUST make all future payments by Standing Order. You will need to set-up a Standing Order with your bank before moving in. Generally, the money will leave your bank account three days before the rental due date so that it reaches the Landlord’s account on the due date.

9. Security deposit

Before you can move into the property, you must provide a security deposit usually equivalent to no more than five or six weeks’ rent subject to the terms of your Tenancy Agreement. This is held until the end of the tenancy against dilapidations. The sum is held without interest and cannot be offset against the last month’s rent. The deposit is held in a designated client’s deposit account and for APT’s it is registered in a government-backed tenancy deposit protection scheme within 30 days, in line with current legislation. When the check-out has been completed, your utility accounts settled and we have received instructions from the Landlord, we will arrange for the money to be returned back to you, minus any agreed deductions.

10. Move-in and check-out procedures

A full inventory will be prepared just before you move into your new home, recording the condition of the property together with the contents. Once completed, a copy is supplied to both you and the Landlord to check and then sign.

When you receive the inventory, it is important to check the document fully, this prevents disputes at the end of the tenancy. The Landlord pays for both the inventory and check-in report at the start of the tenancy. For APT’s the landlord also pays for the check-out report at the end of the tenancy, but for Contractual Tenancies the tenant pays.

11. Keys

At the start of the tenancy you will be handed keys to the property, the number of sets given will be determined by the number of occupiers. If we are managing the property, we will also hold one set in our secure key system in case of emergencies.

12. Council tax

Council tax is not included in your rent - please contact the Local Authority at the start of the tenancy to inform them that you will be living in the property.

If you are unsure who to contact, visit the below link to find your Local Authority: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council

In some circumstances you may be eligible for a discount or exemption – these need to be applied for and do not get added onto your account automatically.

13. Utilities

The Tenant is responsible for paying all utility charges and telephone bills. You must transfer all gas, electricity, water and telephone accounts into your name at the start of the tenancy and provide meter readings to the relevant companies.

In some properties, certain utilities – such as heating, cooling, hot water or air conditioning – may be billed directly to the Landlord via a service charge or separate account and cannot be transferred into the Tenant’s name. Where this is the case, a copy of the relevant charges will be sent to you and payment must be made to us within 14 days of demand.

At the end of the tenancy, you must inform the relevant companies that you are leaving and provide meter readings.

14. Telephone

If you would like to discuss arranging a telephone connection with BT, dial 150 to speak to British Telecom Customer Services (from the UK). If you are calling from overseas, dial your own international operator who will connect you to the UK’s international operator on 153. Ask for British Telecom Customer Services.

15. TV licence

A TV licence is a requirement if anyone on the premises watches, records, or streams TV programmes on any channel or TV service.

As the tenant, you are responsible for paying the TV licence regardless of who owns the TV set. If you would like to learn more, visit: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/

16. Insurance

The Landlord is responsible for insuring the property (i.e. the building) and any of the Landlord’s belongings but it is essential that you insure your own personal contents against risks such as fire, theft, flooding, storm damage and escape of water.

17. Property management

If you rent a property that is also managed by us, you can rest assured that we have reliable contractors on hand. If there is an emergency out of office hours, you will be provided with our 24/7 out of hours number. If however you cannot find it, you can always call our main Management Department number where emergency contact information is provided on a recorded message. Our Management department is open Monday to Friday from 9.30 am to 5pm.

18. Tenant’s checklist

When you start a new tenancy, don’t forget the following:

• Initial rental payment (NB - one calendar month is calculated as the rent per week x 52, divided by 12 months);
• Security deposit (usually 5 or 6 weeks’ rent);
• Monies must be paid in cleared funds, preferably by direct bank transfer;
• Set-up a signed standing order with your Bank for further rent;
• Passport, drivers’ licence, Visa and/or Home Office share code (as applicable);
• Proof of address (required under UK money laundering legislation).

If you follow our guide, you can rest assured that all you need to do now is sit back and enjoy your new home, confident that Benham and Reeves is on hand to provide advice and support throughout your tenancy.

Don’t forget, for complete peace of mind, we are members of ARLA Propertymark (the Association of Residential Letting Agents), The Property Ombudsman and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. So you can be certain of our complete professionalism at all times.

19. Lettings jargon buster

ARLA Propertymark
The Association of Residential Letting Agents, a Government recognised membership scheme ensuring high standards of code and conduct from Letting Agents.

APT (Assured Periodic Tenancy)
An Assured Periodic Tenancy (APT) is the standard type of tenancy for residential lettings in England following the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Unlike a fixed-term tenancy, an APT has no end date – it runs on a rolling monthly basis and continues until either the tenant gives two months’ written notice or the landlord obtains a court order for possession based on statutory grounds.

Break Clause
This is only applicable to Contractual Tenancies and gives the Tenant - and sometimes the Landlord as well – the right to terminate the tenancy during the fixed period of the tenancy.

Contents Insurance
This can be purchased separately when renting and covers damage to the contents of your home from fire, flood, theft or other events causing loss or damage.

Contractual Tenancy
Also known as Non-Housing Act Tenancies, these are agreements used when an APT cannot be used; such as when the rent is over £100,000 per annum or where the named Tenant is a company.

Extensions
After the fixed term of a Contractual Tenancy nears its expiry, both parties may want to renew their agreement in order to continue the tenancy, this is known as an extension.

Notice Period
Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, a tenant may end an APT at any time by giving two months’ written notice to expire on the rent due date or the day before. A landlord may only end an APT by serving a valid Section 8 notice citing one or more statutory grounds for possession.

TDS – the Tenancy Deposit Scheme
This is the Government scheme which protects Tenants’ deposits in assured tenancies.

Tenancy Agreement
This is the agreement between a Landlord and a Tenant under which the Tenant is entitled to occupy the property.

Property Ombudsman (TPO)
The TPO ensures that sellers, buyers, Landlords and Tenants get the highest level of customer care. It is a free, fair and independent mediation service.

Utilities
Electricity, gas, water, heating, cooling and air conditioning are all referred to as utility services. Most utilities will be transferred into the Tenant’s name at the start of the tenancy. However, where a utility is billed directly to the Landlord and cannot be transferred, the cost will be recharged to the Tenant by the Agent within 14 days of demand.

05.26