UK's landlord and tenant laws are judged by the Global Property Guide to be Neutral between landlord and tenant. While tenants in the UK have a fair amount of legal protection, the ease with which landlords can end tenancies and raise rents means the system tends to favor landlords — but it’s slowly shifting toward better tenant rights. The UK government has promised to abolish Section 21 evictions as part of the Renters Reform Bill, which would give tenants more long-term security. However, as of now, no-fault evictions are still legal. We are a few steps away from being very Pro-Tenant like the rest of European countries.

Rents: Can landlord and tenant freely agree rents in the UK?

Rents can be freely negotiated when the contract is signed.

When it comes to rent increases, what your landlord can do depends on the type of tenancy you have. If you're on a periodic tenancy — where the agreement rolls on a week-by-week or month-by-month basis — your landlord generally can’t raise the rent more than once a year, unless you agree to it. For a fixed-term tenancy (a contract that runs for a set period), rent can only be increased if you agree to the change. If you don’t, the rent must stay the same until the fixed term ends.

Regardless of the tenancy type, any rent increase must be fair and reflect the local market rate. Your landlord also needs your permission for any increase beyond what's already allowed in your current agreement.

If your tenancy contract includes a rent review clause, your landlord must follow that process. Otherwise, they have a few options:

• Renew the tenancy at the end of the fixed term with a new rent amount

• Reach a mutual agreement with you and put it in writing, signed by both parties

• Use a formal ‘Landlord’s Notice Proposing a New Rent’ form after the fixed term has ended

As for notice, landlords must give at least one month’s notice if you pay rent monthly or weekly. If you have a yearly tenancy, they must give six months’ notice before any rent change takes effect.

Deposits

When you agree to rent a property, you’ll usually be asked to pay a security deposit. This is typically equivalent to four or five weeks’ rent. Legally, landlords cannot request more than five weeks’ rent as a deposit — unless the annual rent exceeds £50,000, in which case the cap increases to six weeks.

Once paid, your deposit must be protected in a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme, which ensures the money is safely held and can be fairly returned at the end of your tenancy, subject to any deductions.

Here are the approved schemes by region:

• England & Wales:

  • Deposit Protection Service (DPS)

  • MyDeposits

  • Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS)

• Scotland:

  • Letting Protection Service Scotland

  • SafeDeposits Scotland

  • my|deposits Scotland

• Northern Ireland:

  • Tenancy Deposit Scheme Northern Ireland

  • MyDeposits Northern Ireland

  • Letting Protection Service NI

What rights do landlords and tenants have in the UK, especially as to duration of contract and eviction?

In England, there are several types of private tenancies, each offering different levels of protection and rights for tenants depending on when the tenancy began.

The most common today is the Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST). This usually begins with a fixed term — typically six or twelve months — agreed between the tenant and a private landlord. When the fixed term ends, the tenancy can be renewed, the tenant can choose to move out, or the landlord can serve notice, provided the correct notice period is given. If no new agreement is signed, the tenancy often continues as a periodic (rolling) tenancy, which doesn’t have a fixed end date and runs month-to-month or week-to-week.

An Assured Tenancy applies to tenancies that began between 15 January 1989 and 27 February 1997. These are often issued by Housing Associations or Housing Trusts. Tenants with this type of agreement generally have the right to remain in the property indefinitely, as long as they keep up with rent payments and follow the terms of the tenancy.

The oldest form is the Regulated Tenancy, for private rentals that started before 15 January 1989. These tenants benefit from strong protection, including the right to stay in the property long-term and pay a “fair rent”, which is assessed and reviewed every two years. This fair rent is based on the condition and size of the property, rather than market demand.

How effective is the British legal system?

The British legal system is structured and effective in handling tenant evictions, but the process is deliberately slow and procedural to protect tenants' rights and ensure fairness. The British legal system works effectively for evictions if landlords follow the rules carefully, but it’s not a quick fix. It prioritizes due process, which means landlords must be patient and diligent, and tenants are well-protected until the court says otherwise. The general timeline for the eviction process in the UK, based on the two most common routes landlords use: Section 21 (no-fault) and Section 8 (for cause). Keep in mind this applies primarily to England, though similar processes exist across the UK with some regional differences. The realistic timeframe for Section 21 is 3-8 months and for Section 8 it is 3-6 months.

Legislation

The key legislation is the Housing Act 1985 (secure tenancies); the Housing Act 1988; and the Housing Act 1996 (introductory tenancies).

Brief history: Recent changes in British landlord and tenant law

In 1900, 90% of all UK households were tenants. During the century the private rental sector was progressively killed off by laws giving tenants very strong tenancy rights at very low controlled rents. Successive governments also gave home-buyers generous tax breaks. By the year 2000 70% of households were owner-occupiers, and only 9% rented from private landlords.

After the arrival to power of Margaret Thatcher the "assured shorthold tenancy" was introduced to give landlords much stronger rights (Housing Act 1988). This revived the private rented sector, beginning the "buy-to-let" boom. The Housing Act 1996 further strengthened the landlord's position by making the assured short hold tenancy the default, unless very clear written steps are taken to set up some other tenancy. The Act also limited the right of tenants to refer their rent to a rent assessment committee to the initial six months, or the contract period, whichever is longer.