Advertising a Property for Rent

Advertising is not just marketing. It is regulated. Your advert and property particulars should help a prospective tenant decide whether the property is right for them, and they must not mislead.

This page covers:

  • what to include so your advert stays compliant and does not mislead
  • the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 rules on stating one rent figure and the ban on rental bidding
  • the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 rules preventing adverts or screening criteria that exclude or discourage applicants because they have children or receive benefits, including Universal Credit
  • practical marketing tips that do not create legal risk

Core principles for all adverts

Do not mislead (and do not leave out key facts)

Your advert must not mislead a prospective tenant. That includes missing information likely to affect their decision.

A useful test: if an average prospective tenant would treat something as important, say it clearly and early.

Do not use discriminatory wording or screening

From 1 May 2026, landlords and anyone acting for them, including agents, must not advertise, apply policies, or use screening criteria that exclude, discourage, or make it harder for applicants because they have children or receive benefits, including Universal Credit.

In practice, avoid wording such as “No DSS”, “no benefits”, or “no children”, and review portal filters, call scripts, and pre-qualification questions for the same issue.

Include “material information”

CMA guidance for lettings professionals says adverts and property particulars should include all material information. In practice, that usually means:

  • charges and costs linked to renting the property (see also Tenant Fees guidance)
  • property characteristics, such as:
    • location
    • number and size of rooms
    • energy supply and heating type
    • Council Tax information (band and/or indicative cost)
  • the condition of the property, including significant issues that could put someone off (for example, serious defects, severe damp, or potentially unsafe gas/electrical issues)
  • availability date
  • key tenancy terms, especially anything unusual or restrictive (for example, restrictions on pets or smoking)
  • any requirement to use a specific third-party provider (for example, an energy or communications supplier requirement, where applicable)
  • restrictions on the type of tenant, and when a guarantor may be required (for example, for student lets)
  • any applicant criteria must be lawful and must not exclude or discourage households with children or applicants who receive benefits, including Universal Credit

The CMA guidance is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/consumer-protection-law-for-lettings-professionals

Information you should always show in the advert

EPC rating/energy performance indicator

Where an EPC is required, show the EPC energy performance indicator in the advert.

Council Tax

Show the Council Tax band. If you have it, it is also worth linking to the local authority page for bands/charges.

Fees and charges

Most tenant fees are banned. Where a charge is allowed and relevant, your information about charges must be:

  • complete and accurate
  • easy to understand and not misleading
  • shown inclusive of VAT where applicable (including where the cost is a percentage of something else)
  • described clearly so the tenant knows what they are paying for

Renters’ Rights Act 2025: rent advertising and the rental bidding ban

Sections 56 and 57 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 add two rules for most private-sector lettings that could create an assured tenancy:

  • written adverts and written offers must state the rent as one specific figure, and
  • rental bidding above the advertised rent is banned (you must not invite, encourage, or accept offers above the stated rent).

Who must comply

These duties apply to the landlord and anyone acting (or claiming to act) directly or indirectly for the landlord. That includes letting agents and anyone sending written advertisements or offers on the landlord’s behalf.

When the rules apply

They apply where the proposed letting may give rise to an assured tenancy (Housing Act 1988), excluding:

  • social housing tenancies
  • supported accommodation tenancies

For most private-rented-sector lettings, assume the rules apply.

The advert (and any written offer) must state a single, specific rent

You must not advertise in writing, or make a written offer, unless:

  • the rent payable is a specific amount (the “proposed rent”), and
  • the written advert or written offer states the proposed rent.

In practice:

  • use one clear rent figure (for example, “£1,450 per month”)
  • avoid rent ranges and “offers over” wording in anything written (property portals, brochures/particulars, emails, messages, PDFs)

Exception: simple “to let” signs

A sign displayed at the dwelling (or at the premises where it is located) that only says the dwelling is “to let” is exempt from the specific-rent advertising rule.

No rental bidding above the stated rent

Once a proposed rent appears in any written advert or written offer, you must not:

  • invite or encourage anyone to offer rent above that figure, or
  • accept an offer above that figure.

This is the core rental bidding ban.

You can accept an offer below the stated rent.

What counts as the “stated rent”

The “stated rent” is the proposed rent set out in any written advert or offer by any relevant person.

That matters because it stops easy workarounds:

  • if an agent advertises a rent figure in writing, the landlord is tied to that figure too
  • if a landlord emails a rent figure in writing, the agent is tied to that figure too

Compliance steps (landlords and agents)

Set the rent before marketing starts

  • decide the proposed rent up front
  • make sure every written channel uses exactly the same figure (portals, listings, particulars, emails, messages, PDFs)

Keep negotiations clean

Avoid practices that could slip into prohibited rental bidding:

  • do not ask for “best and final offers” if that could lead to offers above the stated rent
  • do not suggest (verbally or in writing) that paying more will secure the property
  • do not accept a higher rent offer, even if the applicant offers it voluntarily

Give clear written instructions if you use an agent

If you use an agent (or anyone else communicates with applicants), give them written instructions that:

  • the rent must be advertised as one fixed figure, and
  • offers above that figure must not be invited, encouraged, or accepted

Check screening and affordability criteria as well as the advert

  • make sure adverts, portal settings, scripts, and template messages do not say or imply “no children”, “No DSS”, or “no benefits”
  • if affordability checks are used, treat benefit income as income
  • if a guarantor may be needed, decide that case by case rather than because the applicant has children or receives benefits

Keep a basic audit trail

Because the stated rent can be set by any written advert/offer from any relevant person, keep simple records such as:

  • the agreed proposed rent
  • where it was published (portals/particulars)
  • the date marketing started and any later changes (and where you updated them)

Enforcement and penalties

A local housing authority can impose a financial penalty if it is satisfied (on the balance of probabilities) that a person has breached:

  • the requirement to state a specific rent in a written advert or written offer, or
  • the prohibition on inviting/encouraging/accepting offers above the stated rent.

The maximum penalty is £7,000. Repeated breaches of the same type within five years may trigger an additional penalty. Penalties can also be imposed jointly where breaches arise from the same conduct by one or more people acting on behalf of others (joint and several liability).

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 sets a formal procedure for these financial penalties. In broad terms, the local authority must serve a notice of intent, allow 28 days for written representations, and then serve a final notice if it decides to impose the penalty. There is a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.

Marketing tips

Where to advertise

Most advertising is online. Some services let private landlords list on major portals (such as Rightmove or Zoopla) via an intermediary who lists as an agent and passes enquiries back to you.

Photographs matter more than long descriptions

Photos usually do more work than a long write-up:

  • consider professional photographs if you only have a few properties
  • if you take your own, use clear, well-lit images that show the space honestly
  • utilise wide angle lenses on modern mobile phones

Keep wording accurate and up to date

Stick to genuine selling points and keep them true:

  • energy efficiency features (for example, double glazing, efficient heating, LED lighting)
  • local amenities (schools, transport, shops)
  • parking
  • quality finishes (for example, wood flooring)
  • recent works, but only call something “recent” if it actually is

Quick checklist before you publish

  • EPC energy performance indicator shown (where required)
  • Council Tax band shown
  • rent shown as a single, specific figure in all written channels
  • no “offers over” or rent range wording
  • no statements implying a higher rent will secure the property
  • no “No DSS”, “no benefits”, “no children”, or similar wording
  • no portal filters, scripts, or template replies that block or discourage applicants because they receive benefits or have children
  • if affordability checks are used, benefit income is included in the assessment
  • if a guarantor is requested, the reason is based on the individual assessment rather than a blanket policy
  • material information included (costs, key property facts, condition issues, availability, key tenancy restrictions)
  • if using an agent: written instruction issued about the rent figure and bidding ban
  • a copy of the live advert/particulars saved for your records
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