What a tenant should settle before renting in London: length of stay, tenancy terms under the new rules, furnishing, management, pets, documents and timing.

By Aldo Attanasio d’Aponte – September 9, 2026

What to consider before renting a property in London

Renting in prime central London is a serious commitment dressed up as a temporary one. The rent on a good family house in Kensington or a lateral flat in Marylebone will run to six figures a year, the competition for the best properties is fierce, and the tenancy rules changed substantially in 2026. A tenant who settles the questions below before starting the search will find a better home and sign a better agreement than one who works them out on the doorstep.

How long do you intend to stay?

Everything follows from this. A stay of under six months is a short let: furnished, bills usually included, priced by the week or the month, and expensive per night. A stay of six months or more is a standard tenancy, priced by the month, with the tenant responsible for utilities and council tax.

Be honest with yourself about the answer. Corporate transferees often arrive on a two-year assignment that becomes five. Families renting while they search for a house to buy often need eighteen months rather than the twelve they planned. It is easier to take a property that suits a longer stay than to move again in London, where each move costs a deposit, agent’s fees on the landlord’s side that find their way into the rent, and several weeks of disruption.

What has changed in tenancy law?

The Renters’ Rights Act is being brought into force during 2026 and it changes the shape of a London tenancy. Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies are replaced by open-ended periodic tenancies. A tenant can end the tenancy by giving two months’ notice at any point; a landlord can end it only on specified grounds, such as selling the property or moving in, and no longer through a no-fault notice. Rent can be raised once a year by a statutory process and the tenant can challenge the increase at a tribunal. Landlords cannot demand more than one month’s rent in advance, cannot run bidding wars above the advertised rent, and cannot unreasonably refuse a request to keep a pet.

For a tenant at the top of the market this is mostly good news. The old debate about break clauses is largely over, since the tenant now has flexibility by default. The trade-off is that landlords, having lost certainty of term, are more selective about who they let to and more inclined to prefer tenants with strong references and a settled plan. A well-presented application matters more, not less.

Furnished or unfurnished?

Short lets are furnished as a matter of course. Longer tenancies in prime London are offered furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished, and the landlord will often accommodate a preference if asked before terms are agreed. Families arriving from abroad with a container of furniture want unfurnished; a single executive on a two-year assignment usually wants everything in place.

Whatever is agreed, the inventory and check-in report are the documents that decide deposit disputes at the end. Read them, photograph anything that is already marked or worn, and make sure the report is amended before you sign it off. A careful hour at the start saves an argument at the end.

Who manages the property?

Some properties are managed by an agent on the landlord’s behalf; others are managed by the landlord directly, who may live abroad. For a tenant, a good managing agent means a known number to call when the boiler fails on a Sunday. A remote landlord with no agent can mean waiting days for a decision on a repair.

Ask who manages the property, how repairs are reported and what the response times are. In a serviced building, ask what the porter and management company will and will not deal with. If the landlord manages personally, ask for an emergency contact and for confirmation of who holds authority to approve spending in their absence.

Will the landlord accept pets, and what about children?

Under the new rules a landlord must consider a request to keep a pet and may not refuse it unreasonably, though they may require pet insurance. That is a change from the previous position, where “no pets” was standard. It remains sensible to raise the subject before terms are agreed rather than after, and to be straightforward about it. A tenant who moves a dog in quietly, hoping not to be noticed, is starting the relationship badly.

Children are not a ground for refusal and never have been lawfully, but some buildings, particularly older mansion blocks, have house rules and lease covenants about noise and use of common parts that a family should read before committing.

Have you seen it, and have you seen the paperwork?

View the property, in person if at all possible. Photographs in London lettings are generous. If you are abroad, have someone you trust view it for you, walk the street at different times of day, and check the building’s common parts as well as the flat. The tenancy agreement binds you from the day you sign it, and a property that disappoints on arrival is an expensive mistake.

The landlord is legally required to provide an Energy Performance Certificate, a current gas safety certificate, evidence that the deposit has been protected in an approved scheme, and the government’s current guidance for tenants. Electrical safety and smoke and carbon monoxide alarm obligations also apply. A landlord or agent who cannot produce these documents is not one I would sign with.

What documents will you need?

Landlords and agents must confirm your identity and your right to rent in the UK, and they will want evidence that you can pay. Expect to provide a passport and any visa, proof of your current address, evidence of employment or income, and references from a previous landlord. International tenants without a UK credit history are often asked to pay several months’ rent in advance; under the new rules that is limited to one month, so landlords are instead asking for a UK-based guarantor or stronger evidence of means. Deposits are capped at five weeks’ rent where the annual rent is below £50,000 and six weeks above that. A holding deposit, capped at one week’s rent, takes the property off the market while references are completed.

When should you start looking?

Later than most people think. The London rental market moves in weeks, not months, and properties are rarely held empty for a tenant who cannot move for ninety days. Six to eight weeks before your intended move is about right for a standard tenancy. Start earlier only to understand the market and the areas; expect to commit within a few days of finding the right property, with references and funds ready.

I have watched clients lose the perfect house because their paperwork took a week to assemble. Have it ready before you view.

Rates and figures correct at the time of writing; confirm the current position before relying on them.

How Arbitrage can help

Our relocation service is a boutique rental search for individuals and corporate transferees who want a home in London found, negotiated and settled without the usual attrition. We act only for the tenant, never the landlord. We shortlist from the whole market including properties not yet advertised, view on your behalf, negotiate rent and terms, check the paperwork and manage the move-in. Our fee is around three weeks’ rent plus VAT, payable on success.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still get a fixed twelve-month tenancy?

Under the Renters’ Rights Act, new tenancies are periodic rather than fixed-term. You have the security of being able to stay as long as the landlord has no lawful ground to end the tenancy, and the flexibility to leave on two months’ notice.

How much deposit will I pay?

Up to five weeks’ rent, or six weeks where the annual rent is £50,000 or more. It must be protected in a government-approved scheme and returned at the end of the tenancy, less any properly evidenced deductions.

Can a landlord raise the rent whenever they like?

No. Rent can be increased once a year through a statutory notice, and a tenant who considers the increase above market rate can refer it to a tribunal.

I am moving from abroad and have no UK credit history. Will that stop me renting?

Not if you plan for it. Landlords will look for evidence of income and means, a guarantor, or an employer’s confirmation for a corporate transferee. We prepare that file with our relocation clients before the search begins.

Do I need to pay an agent to find me a rental?

Letting agents in London work for the landlord and cannot charge tenants fees. A relocation adviser working for you is a separate, paid service, and the value is in access, negotiation and time saved rather than in the listing itself.