Renting in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: the money rules

The law of the nation where the home is decides your rights, wherever your landlord lives. England's Tenant Fees Act 2019 applies only in England. Most of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 is about England too. The exceptions are its chapters banning discrimination against renters with children or on benefits, which reach Scotland (in force from 1 May 2026) and Wales (from 1 June 2026). None of it applies in Northern Ireland.

In Scotland, new private lets are private residential tenancies (PRTs) under the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016. They have no end date, and landlords can no longer create assured or short assured tenancies. In Wales, the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 turned tenancies into 'occupation contracts' on 1 December 2022. Private renters are 'contract-holders', usually on a standard contract, and charges are governed by the Renting Homes (Fees, Discrimination etc.) (Wales) Act 2019. In Northern Ireland, private tenancies come under the Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, as strengthened by the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.

Landlords must be registered in all three nations. You can check the Scottish Landlord Register, check a Welsh landlord through Rent Smart Wales, and search for a landlord or property on nidirect in Northern Ireland.

It depends on the nation: up to 2 months' rent in Scotland and 1 month's rent in Northern Ireland (since 1 April 2023), with no set maximum in Wales. The Welsh 2019 Act lets ministers set a limit by regulations, but none has been made, and Welsh Government guidance says a landlord may ask for a higher deposit in some cases, for example if you have a pet. In Wales a deposit can only be money or a written guarantee.

In every nation the deposit must go into a government-approved scheme, and you must be told in writing which scheme holds it and how to get it back. Each scheme offers free dispute resolution if you disagree with deductions when you leave. In Scotland a landlord doesn't have to use a scheme in a few cases, such as when they live with you or are a close family member.

Scotland and Wales ban letting fees, and in Northern Ireland you may be able to reclaim letting agent fees. In Scotland, a landlord or agent can charge only rent and a refundable deposit when a tenancy starts or is renewed. mygov.scot lists key money, credit check fees, administration fees and non-refundable holding deposits as illegal. You can ask for them back and, if that fails, apply to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber).

In Wales, fees have been banned for tenancies agreed since 1 September 2019. Besides rent and any bills your contract makes you pay, you can be asked for a security deposit, default payments and a refundable holding deposit of up to one week's rent, which must be repaid within 7 days of agreeing the contract unless it's put towards rent or the deposit. Late-rent charges can start only once rent is more than 7 days late and are capped at interest of 3% a year above Bank of England base rate; a lost key is limited to its actual cost. Welsh guidance says landlords can ask for rent in advance, and the Act sets no maximum, but it stops a landlord charging more rent for one period than another unless the rent has been varied by agreement, under the contract or by law.

Northern Ireland has no list of banned fees like England's or Wales's. Instead, the Commission on Disposals of Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 makes void any term requiring you to pay commission owed by the landlord to their agent, and money paid under such a term can be recovered. nidirect says that if you paid letting agent fees in the last six years and kept evidence, you can ask the agent for a refund, although it isn't automatic. It also says you lose a holding deposit if you pull out, and should get it back if the landlord does.

At most once a year in all three nations, but the notice and challenge rules differ, and none currently sets a nationwide cap on the amount.

In Scotland, a PRT landlord can raise the rent once in any 12-month period, must give at least 3 months' notice and must use the official rent increase notice. An increase given any other way, such as in person, doesn't count. If you don't accept it, return part 3 of the notice and apply to Rent Service Scotland within 21 days of receiving it. For notices given before 1 April 2027, the rent officer can set a rent higher or lower than the landlord asked for. For notices given from 1 April 2027, the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 stops the rent officer or tribunal setting more than the landlord proposed. The same Act has let ministers designate rent control areas since 1 April 2026, so check mygov.scot for your area.

In Wales, a new rent on a periodic standard contract needs at least 2 months' notice and can't take effect less than a year after the last one; during an initial fixed term the rent usually stays as agreed. In Northern Ireland, the once-in-12-months limit and 3 months' written notice (which can be sent by email or text) have applied since 1 April 2025. For England, see rent increases and your rights.

You must give at least 28 days' notice in Scotland and 4 weeks in Wales and Northern Ireland (12 weeks in Northern Ireland once a tenancy has lasted over 10 years), and you'll usually owe rent until it runs out. Your landlord's notice depends on the nation, the reason and how long you've lived there. In Scotland your notice must be in writing, allowing 2 extra days if you email or post it. Joint tenants currently have to end a PRT together; from 1 April 2027 one joint tenant will be able to end it alone. A Scottish landlord needs an eviction ground and must give a notice to leave of 28 or 84 days, depending on the ground and whether you've lived there for 6 months. If you don't leave, only a tribunal can order eviction.

In Wales, a joint contract-holder can withdraw with 1 month's notice, and a landlord's 'no-fault' section 173 notice on a periodic standard contract made from 1 December 2022 can't be given in the first 6 months. In Northern Ireland, the 2022 Act contains longer landlord notice periods, but these start only when the Department for Communities makes regulations, and nidirect still lists the periods below. If you leave a fixed-term tenancy in Northern Ireland early without agreement, you could owe rent to the end of the term.

Up to £8,000 in Scotland, £2,153.84 in England and £1,000 plus any rent in advance in Northern Ireland; in Wales it depends on what the landlord asks for. In Scotland, the deposit can be up to 2 × £1,000 = £2,000 and rent in advance up to 6 × £1,000 = £6,000, which makes £8,000, with no fees on top. In Northern Ireland, the deposit can be up to £1,000. nidirect sets out no limit on rent in advance, so ask what the landlord wants before you commit.

In England, one week's rent is £1,000 × 12 ÷ 52 = £230.769…, so the deposit cap is 5 × £230.769… = £1,153.84 (rounded down to the penny), and only £1,000 of rent can be taken, after signing: £2,153.84 in total. In Wales there's no deposit cap or rent-in-advance limit to calculate, so the bill depends on what the landlord asks for. The Welsh holding deposit cap is one week's rent, but the Act doesn't say how to convert monthly rent, so ask the agent how they worked it out (England's method gives £230.76).

Start with the official service for your nation. In Scotland, the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) hears unprotected deposit claims, illegal fee claims, letting agent complaints and rent appeals; mygov.scot says deposit claims, letting agent applications and rent appeals are free. Rent Service Scotland reviews rent increases. In Wales, Shelter Cymru and Citizens Advice give free advice, and your deposit scheme handles disputes over deductions. In Northern Ireland, report an unprotected deposit to your council's environmental health office, and Housing Rights gives free advice on fees and tenancies.

If you're struggling with rent, see our guide to rent arrears and check whether Universal Credit could help with housing costs.