UK Property to let

Looking for a Property to Rent?

Welcome to the UK Property To Let website. Search the database containing up-to-date details of thousands of houses and flats currently available to rent throughout the United Kingdom.

Please use the search boxes on the right of this page to search for flats or houses to rent. You can search by city, town or village name although this will also find properties in other areas of Britain which use the same place name in street names. A more precise alternative is to search and refine searches using the first half of your desired area postcode.


Understand Your Tenancy When Private Renting

When viewing properties to rent it is very important that you know and understand which type of tenancy you will have as it can often have an impact on the rights you have over the property and how you can use it.

What is a tenancy?

A tenancy is the contract which exists between the landlord and the tenant which allows the tenant to occupy a property when they pay rent and follow the agreed rules. A tenancy agreement is the document signed by a landlord (or their agent) and the tenant which sets out the full legal terms and conditions of the tenancy contract. We advise that a tenancy agreement should always be viewed and agreed before anyone signs although, in law, a tenancy agreement can be either written or verbal.

However, whether or not a written tenancy agreement exists, landlords and their tenants still have various rights and obligations dictated by housing legislation.

All tenancies include the following rights and obligations.

Your rights and obligations as a tenant

  • The freedom to live in the property undisturbed.
  • The right to live in a property in a good state of repair and your landlord should make necessary repairs and adequately maintain the property.
  • The right to have access to relevant information about your tenancy.
  • The right to protection from unfair eviction.
  • The right to protection from an unfair rent.
  • The right to challenge excessive charges.
  • The right to have your deposit refunded at the end of the tenancy.

It is important tenants understand that if they fail to pay rent (or breach other terms of the tenancy agreement) they can lose their legal rights as a tenant.

Landlords also have rights. These include:

  • The right to repossess a property when a tenancy ends.
  • The right to take back a property if it gets damaged.
  • The right to access the property with a minimum of 24 hours notice given to the tenant.
  • The right to take legal action to evict a tenant in certain circumstances (e.g. non-payment of rent).
  • Other rights and responsibilities may be specified in a tenancy agreement.

Types of Tenancies

Tenancy agreements can run for a set period, usually six months or longer (known as a fixed-term tenancy), or on a month-to-month basis (known as a periodic tenancy).

Assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs)

These are the most common type of tenancy. An AST can be agreed if all of the following conditions apply:

  • The property being rented is private.
  • The property being rented will be the tenants main accommodation.
  • The landlord does not reside in the property.
  • All new tenancies are automatically ASTs unless otherwise stated. Another type of tenancy - called an 'assured tenancy' - also exists but these give tenants more rights to stay in the property and are rarely used in practice.

    • A tenancy cannot be deemed an AST if:

    • The tenancy was begun or agreed prior to 15th Jan 1989.
    • If the rent is more than £100,000.
    • If the tenancy is rent free.
    • If the rent is less than £250 a year (less than £1,000 in London).
    • If it is a commercial tenancy or a tenancy for licensed premises.
    • If it is a holiday let.
    • If the landlord is a local authority.

    Before signing a tenancy agreement always seek qualified legal advice if you are in anyway unsure of any terms or conditions in the agreement. Your local Citizens Advice Office can usually provide information, legal contacts and useful advice to tenants.