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As UK rents soar - 21 renters' rights & tips

Use rent to boost your credit. Cheaper broadband, council tax, water & energy. Help if you're struggling to pay

Rents are rising at an eye-watering rate, with renters hit hard by a decrease in available properties and some landlords having to pass on increased mortgage costs. Average rent is now £1,200/mth in the UK (£2,000/mth in London).
Add to that the huge inflationary hits to food, energy bills, utilities, insurance and it's a perfect storm for many. We can't lower your rent, but our 50+ MoneySaving tips for renters can help you save elsewhere. Here are our top 21 tips, right now, as a deposit...

- Rental Exchange Initiative (Experian)*. Here, bigger private landlords (500+ properties), council and social housing landlords sign up. It's free for them and you. Their incentive is it helps encourage on-time rental payments.
- Canopy. Here, the tenant signs up, and it's free to get Canopy to report to Experian (or £4/mth for all three credit reference agencies).
- CreditLadder. Another tenant sign-up, then you can choose which of Experian, Equifax or TransUnion that it reports to for free (so use Canopy for Experian and this for one of the others).

In a house- / flat-share? Use a free app to split the bills. Keeping track of bills can be a complete nightmare, especially if there are a few of you. The Splitwise app can help.

Furnish your home for FREE & spruce up your space. If you've rented unfurnished or part-furnished, online giveaway sites can help you find what you need for nowt. eBay's also worth checking for cheap stuff too - see our 40 eBay buying tips.
Plus while you can't usually make permanent changes to the decor or layout if you're renting, we've 25 tips and tricks to boost storage and make the most of where you live.

Renting privately in London? Check your home's properly licensed, if not you could be owed £1,000s... if your landlord hasn't followed the rules. Use the property licence checker to find out.

You don't need buildings insurance but should consider contents insurance (from £5/mth). Your landlord is responsible for buildings insurance, but you need to consider insurance for your contents (an easy way to think of it is the stuff that'd fall if you turned your home upside down). Our Cheap contents insurance for tenants guide takes you through it, but in short:
- Speedily get quotes from comparison sites. Try Compare The Market*, MoneySupermarket* and Confused.com* to bag a decent number of quotes.
Carefully check the cover offered before you buy - for example, if you're in a house-share, the policy may specify you need a lock on the door to your room to be covered.
- Check if deals not on comparisons can win. Use this Urban Jungle* link and the code MSE_OFFER, and you'll be sent a £15 Amazon voucher within 7mths for contents-only cover. Factor that in and see if it beats other options. And if you've time, try Direct Line, which isn't on any comparison sites, and offers good cover levels, but isn't likely to be your cheapest quote.
- Check cashback websites before buying. Once you've found the right policy, check if a cashback website will pay you.

More bedrooms in your home than people, or the same number (so two rooms, two people)? If so, a water meter is likely to save you cash

Use the water meter calculator to see if you'll save

Struggling with energy bills? Renters are eligible for help too. There are still no deals to switch and save, but...
- Check if your energy provider can help. If you're falling behind, talk to your supplier about payment plans or payment breaks if you're on a standard credit meter, or emergency credit or additional support credit if you're on prepay. Plus, many firms offer help through hardship funds.
- Rented homes should have an 'EPC' rating of at least E. In England & Wales, landlords can't let properties with an energy performance certificate (EPC) below E, while in Scotland this was increased to below D for new tenancies from 1 April 2022.
While there are a few exemptions, if you find that your home does not have an EPC, or the rating is lower than it should be, you can make a complaint to Trading Standards.
- Free insulation. If you're on certain benefits and you rent, you may be able to get free insulation, which should cut your energy costs, though you will need landlord permission. Full information in Free insulation.
- Switch to a smart meter to help keep track of usage. These have in-home displays to show near real-time energy costs, so you can see where to cut back. Unless your tenancy explicitly states you shouldn't change the meter or they need to be moved, you can switch - though as a courtesy discuss it with your landlord first. See our Smart meter guide.
PS: If you pay your landlord for energy and they pay through a commercial contract (more common in blocks of flats), check if you can apply for a £400 energy help payment - you can only apply until 31 May, so go quick.

- You live alone or with under-18s (or only others on the list below)
- You're a full-time student
- You're on a low income
- You get Pension Credit or other benefits
- You have a disability
- You or someone you live with has a 'severe mental impairment'
- You're a live-in carer or live with one
... check our Council tax discounts list to see if you can pay less (and if you're renting you can also use our check & challenge system to see if your home's in the wrong council tax band).

Beware bogus charges - letting fees are BANNED. As our guide to what they can and CAN'T charge explains, since 2019 charges for credit checks, photocopying and so on have been banned across England, Scotland & Wales (some are still allowed in N Ireland).

If you're in a dispute with your landlord, help's available - and they have responsibilities, too. If you think you've been unfairly treated during your tenancy - or your landlord hasn't kept the home safe and in good working order - there are official bodies to help you complain (though they have limited powers). See landlord responsibilities and your rights.