Private Rented Housing: Rental Agents & Legal Information for Single Tenants

Finding Private Rented Housing

Where to look for your next home and where single tenants can get the best independent advice
Private rented housing is a vital and growing part of the housing market. For single people, living in private rented housing though can be a lot more expensive than buying a house and paying a mortgage, or getting help from housing associations and your local council.

In fact, studies suggest you’ll spend around £42 more a month on renting than you would on a mortgage.

However, as the deposits required by mortgage providers continue to increase in size, and mortgage applications grow more complex, you might think that private renting is your best option.

Its not really surprising then that the ONS (Office for National Statistics) report that single people are statistically more likely to rent than own a home. The good news is that the private renting landscape does give you a lot of options to explore, with short and long-term tenancies to match a range of needs.

The key to success as a single renter, is going into the market armed with the right information so here’s some of the best resources you can use as you enter the housing market.

Guidance on Single Renter Rights

There are plenty of good resources out there if you’re looking for information on your legal rights as a single renter. The best place to start searching for official guidance, is on the Gov.UK website. There’s a dedicated section on private renting, where you can find information about your rights and responsibilities as a renter, as well as the responsibilities of your landlord.

This section also provides insights into how you can deal with rent increases, disputes, and arrears, how you can request repairs from your landlord, and how you can make complaints to the government.

This government site is completely free to access, and is packed with official information you can trust.

If you’re looking for extra guidance into your single renter rights with private landlords, check out:

• CITIZENS ADVICE: The Citizen’s Advice website is another helpful free resource packed with useful information for renters. This page outlines everything you need to know about paying your rent, ending your rental agreement and more. Plus, there are other pages on the site that can help you to check your tenancy type, or understand tenancy agreements.
• SHELTERS PRIVATE RENTING PAGE: Shelter is fantastic organization, committed to supporting renters, home owners, and people who need housing advice. The group’s “Renting rights” page covers everything you need to know about renting private property.
• WHICH: An independent company which publishes plenty of useful information for UK consumers. This article by the Which Editorial team covers insights into living in a rented property, as well as eviction rules and rights.

(There is no need to pay other sites for this freely available information on any of the sites above)

Private Rented Housing Agencies

There’s no shortage of online and high street rental agents, specialising in private rented housing options. You can even use resources from Shelter to find agencies local to your area, or you can check out the Citizen’s Advice website for tips on how to choose an agency.

Here are some great national rental agencies to help you start your search:

• GumTree: Free classified ‘wanted’ rental ads covering 60 cities across 6 countries
• Rightmove: Listing more than 300,000 properties to rent, all types of property types and styles from studio apartments for single tenants to detached homes right across the UK.
• OpenRent: A free resource connecting 6.3 million tenants and landlords across the UK.
• HomeFinder: Listings for private rented homes, housing association, and council homes.
• Zoopla: An easy-to-use website listing homes to rent and buy, house pricing information, and letting agents throughout the UK.
• Prime Location: One of the largest dedicated lettings site advertising flats and houses to rent.

Other Useful Resources for Single Renters

If you need extra guidance on private renting options for single people, there are a handful of great resources you can find both online and offline. We’d definitely recommend starting with the Citizens Advice Bureau, and Shelter, for end-to-end guidance and support:

CITIZENS ADVICE – information and advice on a wide range of issues including benefits, universal credit and housing

SHELTER – information and advice on a wide range of housing issues including benefits and a signposting service for further help and advice

OTHER INDEPENDENT (& FREE) SOURCES OF INFORMATION – also worth checking out