Writing Lettings Adverts Under the Renters' Rights Act

This is general information, not legal advice. It covers England, reflects official sources as checked in September 2026, and does not cover every exception. If a letting is unusual, check the sources below or take advice.

What changed on 1 May 2026

The first phase of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force in England on 1 May 2026. The government's timeline lists, among other things (gov.uk, when will the Renters' Rights Act come into force, checked September 2026):

• landlords must stick to no more than the advertised rent;
• refusing tenants because they receive benefits or have children is illegal;
• renters can ask to keep a pet, and landlords must consider it reasonably;
• rent in advance is limited.

Later measures, such as the private rented sector database and the landlord ombudsman, are being phased in separately. Four of the phase one changes touch the advert directly.

1. The rent must be stated, as one figure

Section 56 of the Act says a landlord, or anyone acting for them, must not advertise or offer a letting in writing unless the rent is a specific amount and the advert states it (legislation.gov.uk, Renters' Rights Act 2025, section 56, checked September 2026). It applies to lettings that would be assured tenancies, which covers most private lettings. A "to let" board at the property that just says it is to let is excluded.

The government's guidance spells out what counts as written: an online property advert, a printed advert, a social media post, and digital messages such as emails, texts and direct messages. A price range is not allowed (gov.uk, rental bidding: a guide for landlords, checked September 2026).

In practice: the portal listing, your own website, the Facebook post, the property particulars you email, and the WhatsApp reply to "is it still available?" all need the same single figure.

2. No bidding, invited or accepted

The same section says you must not invite or encourage anyone to offer more than the stated rent, and must not accept an offer above it. The gov.uk guide adds that you must not act in a way that leads someone to believe they need to offer more.

Note the difference from some other countries: in England you cannot accept a higher offer even if the applicant makes it unprompted. The guide says such offers must be refused.

A local housing authority can impose a financial penalty of up to £7,000 for a breach (legislation.gov.uk, Renters' Rights Act 2025, section 57, checked September 2026), and the gov.uk guide explains how repeat breaches add up.

If you run block viewings, this matters at the end of the session as much as in the advert. "We've had a lot of interest, so it may go to whoever offers most" is an invitation to bid. More on running those sessions in block viewings for lettings.

3. Children and benefits

The government's guide for landlords says you must not do anything to make a tenant less likely to rent a property, or prevent them from renting it, because they have children or receive benefits, and that this applies to anyone acting for you, including letting agents. It lists stopping someone accessing information about a property among the ways that can happen, with a fine of up to £7,000 for each offence (gov.uk, rental discrimination: a guide for landlords, checked September 2026).

An advert that says "No DSS" or "No children" tells exactly those people not to enquire. Take the phrases out, along with softer versions that do the same job.

You can still check affordability. The government's rental discrimination guidance says landlords can take income into account, should set the same income requirement for everyone, and should treat all forms of income equally (gov.uk, rental discrimination under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, checked September 2026).

4. Pets and rent in advance

The gov.uk overview for landlords says a tenant or potential tenant can ask to keep a pet, and you can only refuse if you have a valid reason (gov.uk, Renters' Rights Act: an overview for landlords, checked September 2026). "Absolutely no pets" in an advert sits badly with that. "Pets considered on request" is accurate.

The same page says you cannot ask for, encourage or accept rent before the tenancy agreement is signed, and the government's guide to the Act limits what can be required after signing to one month's rent. So "six months upfront preferred" comes out of the advert too.

A before and after

Before (a fictional advert, written to show the problems):

Stunning 2-bed flat, rent from £1,250 to £1,350 pcm depending on applicant. Offers invited, high demand expected. Professionals only, no DSS, no pets. Six months upfront preferred.

After:

Two-bedroom first-floor flat with a balcony, eight minutes' walk from the station. Refitted kitchen with dishwasher, allocated parking for one car. Rent £1,300 per calendar month. Deposit £1,500. Council tax band C. Leasehold. Unfurnished. Available 1 November. Pets considered on request. Book a viewing from the listing.

The after version has one rent, no invitation to bid, no group excluded, nothing asked in advance, and more facts a renter can decide on. For more worked examples, see lettings property description examples.

How this fits with material information

The Renters' Rights Act adds rules about the rent and who you exclude. It sits alongside the general duty not to leave out material information. Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, leaving out information the average consumer needs to take an informed decision is a misleading omission (legislation.gov.uk, DMCC Act 2024, section 227, in force since 6 April 2025, checked September 2026).

The National Trading Standards material information guidance for property listings was withdrawn on 8 May 2025, once the DMCC Act had replaced the regulations it was written under. Trading Standards notes the guidance has been withdrawn while the duty remains (London Borough of Bromley, Trading Standards: property descriptions for sale or let, checked September 2026). So state the rent, the deposit, the council tax band and the tenure, and anything else a renter would reasonably want before booking a viewing.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

The stated-rent and bidding rules and the pets and rent-in-advance changes described here apply in England. The Act has separate chapters on discrimination in Wales and in Scotland, and the gov.uk guidance points to separate guidance for each. Northern Ireland has its own private tenancy law. If you let outside England, check the Welsh Government, Scottish Government or nidirect pages for your nation rather than relying on this post.

A checklist for every advert (England)

1. One rent figure, per calendar month or per week, in every written version of the advert.
2. No "offers", "best offer", "from £" or "rent to be agreed".
3. Nothing that invites a higher offer at the viewing or in follow-up messages.
4. No wording that excludes people with children or on benefits.
5. "Pets considered on request" rather than a blanket refusal.
6. Nothing asking for rent before the agreement is signed.
7. Deposit, council tax band and tenure stated.
8. Anything unusual about the property stated plainly.
9. The same facts on the portal, your own site and social posts.

Where Loftfolio fits

Loftfolio is a lettings website with an applicant pipeline behind it. UK listings get material information fields built in: price, tenure, council tax band, and the deposit on a letting. Those fields keep the facts in one place on every listing.

It does not check your wording, it does not enforce the bidding ban, and it does not make an advert lawful; that stays with you and your agent. The full list of what it does not do is on not for you.

Next step

Run your current adverts against the UK material information checklist, then against the list above. If the rent is written as a range anywhere, start there.

Related: A landlord's checklist for the Renters' Rights Act; The Renters' Rights Act and pets.