Renting a home
The housing crisis is one of our city's greatest challenges, and the Mayor is doing everything possible to tackle it - from building more council homes, to advocating for rent controls and renters rights.
You can use this page to:
- get to know your rights as a renter
- explore our resources for private renters
- search for a property to rent in London through the London Living Rent scheme
- find out more about what the Mayor is doing to improve the private rented sector in London.
Get to know your renting rights
Knowing your rights and how to enforce them can make a big difference to your experience of renting in London. We want every private renter to know what to look out for.
This is not an exhaustive private renter's rights list - you can also get advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice.
Remember your local council can intervene if your landlord is not carrying out their legal responsibilities. Contact them directly, or via the Mayor's Report a rogue landlord tool.
- Your landlord must give you two months’ notice if they want to evict you under Section 21 and they must take you to court if they want to evict you.
- Your landlord can only increase your rent if there is a rent review clause in your contract, or by serving a formal notice (a section 13 notice), which you can challenge at a tribunal.
- Your landlord must give at least 24 hours’ notice before visiting you but you do not need to agree unless it is for them to carry our repairs
- Your landlord does not need to initiate the return of your deposit – at the end of your tenancy, you can contact the deposit protection scheme to get your deposit back.
- Your landlord must pay for the repair or replacement of your boiler; they are also responsible for repairing anything to do with the structure and exterior of your home, like walls, roof, foundations, drains, gutters, external pipes, windows, electrics and external doors.
- Your landlord must give you an up-to-date gas safety certificate and energy performance certificate, proof that they have protected your deposit and the government’s How to rent guide when you move in.
Resources for private renters
It's the law that local councils are responsible in making sure private landlords meet their obligations, and provide good quality and safe accommodation.
Renters deserve protection from rogue landlords and agents, as well as a more secure and affordable private rented sector.
Use our Checker to see which landlords and agents have been fined or prosecuted in London.
Use this form to report a rogue landlord or agent in London.
If you're concerned that your landlord might not be complying with their legal obligations, it is worth checking if they have obtained the proper licence.
If you're experiencing problems with your private landlord or letting agent, there is help and support available.
Find out moreFind an affordable home
The Mayor wants to help low and modest income Londoners get on the housing ladder at a lower cost than renting privately or buying on the open market.
London Living Rent provides high quality rented homes on stable tenancies, with rents based on a third of local household incomes. Money you save on rent can go towards a deposit for your own home.
Homes for Londoners property search
The Homes for Londoners search tool allows Londoners on low to middle incomes search for Shared Ownership, London Living Rent and other forms of affordable home ownership.
Find London Living Rent propertiesWhat the Mayor is doing to improve the private rented sector in London
Read about the Mayor's vision for reforming tenure and rents in London's private rented sector.
Find out more information about the ban on tenant fees which came into effect on 1 June 2019.
A collection of resources to help social housing landlords to collect, display and store information on their accessible housing stock.
Get involved
Join Talk London's online community to have your say on our housing policies.
Take partNeed a document on this page in an accessible format?
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of a PDF or other document on this page in a more accessible format, please get in touch via our online form and tell us which format you need.
It will also help us if you tell us which assistive technology you use. We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.