You’ve found a flat in a big city, you’ve never rented before, and you have no credit history or references to show a landlord. This first-time renter checklist walks through the order that protects you: what you can afford, what you’ll be asked to pay up front, what to read before you sign, how to inspect and document the place, and what to do on day one. The legal detail below covers England and the United States, and says which is which.
General information only, not legal or financial advice. Tenant rules differ by country, state and city, and England’s rules changed on 1 May 2026, so check the official pages linked here and your local housing authority before you sign.
Your first-time renter checklist starts with a budget
Rent is only part of the monthly cost. Add utilities, internet, transport, insurance and the one-off costs of moving in. A common rule of thumb is to keep rent to about 30% of your take-home income. That’s a starting point, not a law, and in an expensive city it may be unrealistic, so treat it as a prompt to check what’s left over.
Example (illustrative figures): you take home £3,000 a month. Thirty percent is £900. If the flat you like costs £1,200, rent would take 40%. Then add £150 for utilities and internet, £120 for transport and £15 for contents insurance, and you’ve committed £1,485 before food. That’s useful to know before you view, not after.
| Monthly cost | Example amount | Where to get the real figure |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | £1,200 | The advert or lease |
| Utilities and internet | £150 | Ask the landlord for last year’s bills |
| Council tax or local charges | Varies | Your local authority |
| Contents insurance | £15 | Quotes online |
| Transport to work | £120 | Your operator’s fare page |
What you can be asked to pay up front
England
GOV.UK’s guide to rent in advance and deposits says the most a landlord can usually ask for in rent in advance is one month’s rent (or 28 days’ rent if you pay weekly), and that they must not accept, ask for or encourage payment of rent before you both sign the tenancy agreement. Deposits are capped at up to 5 weeks’ rent if the annual rent is less than £50,000, or up to 6 weeks’ if it’s £50,000 or more. A holding deposit, to reserve the property while checks are carried out, can be up to one week’s rent.
Example (illustrative figures): rent of £1,200 a month is £14,400 a year (12 x 1,200), which is under £50,000. A week’s rent is about £277 (14,400 / 52), so the 5-week deposit cap is about £1,385. With a month’s rent in advance (£1,200), the most you’d normally pay at the start, apart from a holding deposit, is about £2,585.
The same guidance says the landlord must keep your deposit safe in a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme. GOV.UK’s page on deposit protection schemes says the landlord or agent must put it in the scheme within 30 days, and names three schemes in England and Wales: the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. Ask which one is used, and keep the confirmation.
GOV.UK’s rental bidding guidance says a landlord or agent cannot ask or encourage you to pay more than the advertised rent, and the advert must state a specific amount, not a range. If a listing invites offers, ask the agent how that fits with the rules.
United States
There is no single national deposit rule for private rentals, so find your state’s limits and return deadlines before you pay. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s page on tenant screening reports says landlords may use a screening report to decide whether to rent to you and how much to charge for your security deposit.
Credit history, references and scams
With no credit history, expect questions, and expect a landlord to ask for extra security such as a larger deposit where the law allows it, a guarantor or a cosigner. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s page on tenant screening reports says landlords use screening reports to help make decisions on possible tenants, and that the reports can include rental history, credit reports, employment verification and criminal history. If a landlord denies you housing based on one, the page says federal law requires them to tell you a report was used, give you the reporting company’s contact details and explain your right to dispute the information. You have the right to a free copy of the report if you request it within 60 days.
Be even more careful of rental scams when you’re new to a city. GOV.UK’s news item on rental fraud says fraudsters offer access to properties that do not exist, or which are not theirs to rent, often using fake details and photos and prices well below market rate. It advises renters to avoid rushing into a quick decision or paying any money for a property before they have viewed it in person. Check that the person showing you the place is the landlord or an agent you can verify, and pay by traceable methods, never cash or gift cards.
Never pay a deposit for a place you haven’t seen, from someone you can’t identify.
Read the agreement before you sign
Read every page, and ask for anything unclear to be changed or explained in writing. Here is what to look for in an English tenancy since 1 May 2026, according to GOV.UK’s tenant guide to assured periodic tenancies:
- An assured periodic tenancy cannot have an end date. If a landlord tries to include one, the end date will not apply.
- The page on ending your tenancy says the maximum notice a landlord can ask you to give is 2 months, and that notice must be in writing (a letter, email or text), with a copy kept.
- The page on pets says you must ask your landlord in writing, and that they have 28 days to respond in writing.
- The page on rent and other payments lists extra charges you may be asked for, such as paying rent late or replacing a lost key, and says utilities, internet, phone, TV licence and council tax only count where you have agreed to pay them.
In the US, a lease usually has a fixed term, and breaking it early can cost money, so read the clause on early termination, the rules on guests and subletting, and who pays for repairs. State law varies widely, so check your state attorney general’s or housing agency’s tenant guide.
Inspect the place and document everything
Do this before you move your belongings in. GOV.UK’s How to Rent checklist, which was withdrawn on 1 May 2026 and points to the assured periodic tenancy guidance above, advised agreeing an inventory or check-in report with the landlord before you move in, and listed a gas safety certificate, smoke alarms on every floor used as living accommodation, and an energy performance rating of E or above as things a landlord must provide. Because that page is withdrawn, confirm the current requirement with your council or Citizens Advice before relying on it, but asking to see each of these costs you nothing.
Your move-in inspection
- Photograph and date every room, including the inside of cupboards, the oven and the bathroom, before any of your belongings arrive.
- Test every tap, light, socket, window lock, door lock and appliance, and write down what doesn’t work.
- Look for damp, mould, cracks and water stains on ceilings and around windows.
- Turn the heating on, even in summer, and run the hot water.
- Check the smoke alarm by pressing its test button.
- Email the list and photos to the landlord or agent on day one, and keep the sent copy.
Day-one tasks
- Take meter readings for gas, electricity and water, and photograph them.
- Register with the electricity and gas suppliers and the local authority for council tax if that applies.
- Set up internet early, because installation can take time.
- Change your address with your bank, employer and phone provider.
- Arrange contents insurance for your own belongings, since a landlord’s policy usually covers the building and not your belongings.
- Save the landlord’s contact details, the emergency repair number and the deposit scheme reference.
Reporting problems
Report repairs in writing, say what’s wrong and when you first noticed it, attach photos, and keep a copy. If nothing happens, send a follow-up and keep the trail. A written record is what a council, a deposit scheme or a housing adviser will ask you for if there’s a dispute.
Common mistakes
Paying before you’ve seen the place is the costliest. Confirm that the landlord or agent is real and that the property exists before sending any money.
The second is skipping the inventory. Without dated photos, the landlord’s account of the condition at move-in may be the only one.
The third is signing on the day because the flat might go. Pressure to decide fast is the moment to ask for a copy of the agreement to read overnight.
The takeaway
Work out what you can really afford, check the up-front costs against the official rules for where you live, and read the agreement before you pay. Then photograph the place on day one and put every request in writing.
