RRA 2025 — Rent in advance limit rules for landlords 2026

What you must do

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 limits how much rent you can ask for in advance to a maximum of one month, and you must not require any rent to be paid before the tenancy agreement is signed. This is an informational rule that CertSafe surfaces when you create a new tenancy so you can set it up correctly from the start. Asking for more can be treated as a prohibited payment that the tenant can recover. Review your onboarding process for new tenants.

This is a legal obligation for private landlords in England. Keeping dated records is the simplest way to prove you have met it if a tenant, council or lender ever asks.

How often / when

At the start of each new tenancy.

CertSafe works out the exact next-due date for your property automatically once you enter when it was last done, and reminds you at 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 days before — plus if anything slips overdue.

The penalty for getting it wrong

Prohibited payment; recoverable by the tenant.

Penalties are set by legislation and enforced by local authorities or the courts. They can also complicate possession, mortgage and insurance matters, which is why lenders increasingly ask to see a compliance record.

Your quick checklist

1. Find the date this was last done (or arrange it now if it hasn't been).

2. Keep the certificate or record somewhere safe and give any required copy to your tenant.

3. Diarise the next deadline — or let CertSafe track it and remind you.

Frequently asked questions