Guides

Plain-English guides for tenants in England. Each was checked sentence by sentence against legislation.gov.uk, GOV.UK and the other sources it lists, on the date at its foot. Information, not legal advice.

• How to challenge a rent increase in England (Section 13) What a Section 13 notice is, the rules before and after 1 May 2026, the deadline, form MR1 and the fee, what the tribunal can decide, how long it takes and what tribunals decided, with figures from every published decision.
• Rent repayment orders: who can apply, the maximum and what tribunals ordered Who can apply for a rent repayment order, which offences count, the 12 and 24 months' rent maximum, the time limit, how the amount is fixed, and what tribunals ordered by offence, with n.
• Does my rented home need a licence? HMO and selective licensing explained Mandatory, additional and selective licensing in plain words, how to check whether a home is licensed, what 'not on the register' does and doesn't mean, and what can follow when a licence was needed and not held.
• What the Renters' Rights Act changed on 1 May 2026: rent increases and repayment orders The new rules for Section 13 rent increases and rent repayment orders from 1 May 2026, with the first figures from decisions under them and how few there are so far.
• Tenancy deposits in England: protection, the 30 days, court claims and disputes The duty to protect a deposit and give the prescribed information within 30 days, the three schemes and how to check a deposit, the county court claim of one to three times the deposit, possession claims since the Renters' Rights Act, adjudication and fair wear and tear.