Tenant Handling Procedure

Last updated: 20 May 2026

Our commitment to prospective and existing tenants

At Your Home Managed, we are committed to treating all prospective and existing tenants fairly, transparently, and in full compliance with English law. This procedure explains how we handle tenant enquiries and applications, from first contact through to tenancy completion and beyond.

Our process reflects the law as it stands following the commencement of the tenancy reforms in the Renters' Rights Act 2025 on 1 May 2026, together with our ongoing obligations under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, the Equality Act 2010, the Immigration Act 2014, the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, the UK sanctions framework, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, and our redress scheme rules.

1. Core principles

Non-discrimination — we comply with the Equality Act 2010 and with the new anti-discrimination provisions of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 covering tenants with children and tenants in receipt of benefits.
Legal compliance — we adhere to all applicable statutory and regulatory obligations.
Transparency — we are open about our processes, the permitted payments under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, and how enquiries are handled.
Accountability — we are a member of the Property Redress Scheme and maintain a clear complaints process.
Professional service — we follow best-practice codes through our UKALA and NRLA memberships.

2. Initial enquiry handling

When a prospective tenant contacts us through the website, by phone, by email, in person, or via a property portal, we:

Record the enquiry and the information you provide
Explain who we are, what we do, and how the letting process works
Ask for the information we need to identify suitable properties — for example, household size, desired location, move-in date, budget, and any specific requirements (pets, parking, accessibility)
Confirm that we will need to carry out a Right to Rent check, sanctions check, and referencing before any tenancy can proceed
Provide accurate, up-to-date property information, including the rent, deposit, EPC rating, council tax band, tenure, and any other material information required under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024

We do not pressure tenants to make an offer at viewing, and we respect viewing-time preferences.

3. Permitted payments under the Tenant Fees Act 2019

We explain in writing what payments are permitted at every stage. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, the only payments we can require from a tenant are:

Rent
A refundable holding deposit, capped at one week's rent
A refundable tenancy deposit, capped at five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks' rent where the annual rent is £50,000 or more
Payments associated with early termination of the tenancy, at the tenant's request
Payments for utilities, council tax, communications services, and TV licence where required by the tenancy agreement
A default fee for late payment of rent or replacement of a lost key, in the limited circumstances permitted by the Act

We do not charge admin fees, referencing fees, inventory fees, or check-out fees to tenants. A breakdown of payments is provided before any holding deposit is taken.

4. Rent in advance and bidding — Renters' Rights Act 2025

Since the commencement of the Renters' Rights Act on 1 May 2026:

We do not request or accept rent payments before a tenancy agreement is signed.
Once a tenancy agreement is signed, we may collect up to one month's rent in advance, even before the tenancy commences.
During the tenancy, we will not require more than one month's rent in advance.
We do not invite or accept offers above the advertised rent. The rent stated in the advertisement is the maximum we can accept.

5. Right to Rent checks

We comply with the Right to Rent Scheme under the Immigration Act 2014 and follow the Home Office Code of Practice. For every adult to be named on a tenancy, we:

Request and verify acceptable identity and immigration documents in line with the current Home Office acceptable documents list, or use the Home Office online right-to-rent share-code service for those who hold digital immigration status (including under the EU Settlement Scheme)
Carry out checks on a consistent, non-discriminatory basis in line with the Equality Act 2010 and the Home Office Code of Practice on avoiding unlawful discrimination
Keep secure records of the checks for the duration of the tenancy plus one year, to maintain a statutory excuse against civil penalties
Schedule follow-up checks where a tenant has time-limited permission to be in the UK

6. Equality, non-discrimination, and the Renters' Rights Act 2025

We comply fully with the Equality Act 2010 and the anti-discrimination provisions of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. We do not, and will not:

Refuse to let a property, refuse a viewing, or impose less favourable terms on the basis of any protected characteristic (race, age, disability, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, or pregnancy and maternity)
Refuse to let a property to a household that includes children
Refuse to let a property to a tenant in receipt of benefits, including Universal Credit and Housing Benefit
Advertise a property as "No DSS," "No benefits," or "No children," whether on our website, on portals, or elsewhere
Apply blanket affordability rules that have the effect of excluding benefit recipients without considering the tenant's full financial circumstances

Any decision not to proceed with an applicant is documented, based on objective criteria such as referencing outcomes and affordability, and explained to the applicant in writing on request.

7. Sanctions checks

We are a "relevant firm" under the UK financial sanctions framework. Since 14 May 2025, we carry out sanctions checks on every prospective landlord, tenant, and guarantor, regardless of the rental value of the property. We:

Screen all parties against the OFSI Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets
Record the date, the names checked, and the result
Pause onboarding immediately and report to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) if a match is identified or suspected
Keep records for the current tax year plus five years

Sanctions checks are a separate legal requirement from our anti-money laundering obligations under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017. Both regimes apply to us where relevant.

8. Referencing and affordability

Once a holding deposit has been paid and the property is reserved, we instruct a third-party referencing provider to verify:

Identity and Right to Rent status
Employment and income (or guarantor income where appropriate)
Previous landlord references
Credit history (with appropriate consent)

We assess affordability on a case-by-case basis. Where a tenant relies on benefits, we consider the household's total income and any guarantor support, rather than applying an arbitrary income multiple.

We will tell you what documents we need and why. The referencing provider operates as our processor under the UK GDPR, and our Privacy Policy explains how your information is handled.

9. The tenancy under the Renters' Rights Act 2025

All tenancies are assured periodic tenancies under the Housing Act 1988 as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Key features include:

No fixed term. Tenancies are monthly periodic from the start.
Tenant's notice. A tenant can end the tenancy at any time by giving two months' notice in writing, unless a shorter period is agreed.
Landlord possession. Section 21 "no-fault" notices were abolished on 1 May 2026. A landlord can only seek possession on a statutory ground under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, using the prescribed notice form.
Twelve-month protected period. Certain possession grounds — including the landlord's intention to move in (Ground 1) or sell (Ground 1A) — cannot be exercised within the first twelve months of the tenancy, and require four months' notice when they are.
Rent increases. Rent can only be increased once in any twelve-month period, by a Section 13 notice with at least two months' notice. The tenant has a right to refer the proposed increase to the First-tier Tribunal.
Pet requests. A tenant can request to keep a pet at the property. A landlord cannot unreasonably refuse the request, and must respond within the statutory timeframe. The landlord can require the tenant to maintain pet damage insurance or to pay the reasonable cost of equivalent cover.

We will provide a copy of the tenancy agreement before signing and encourage tenants to seek independent advice if they wish.

10. Tenancy Information Sheet

Where a tenancy was an Assured Shorthold Tenancy on 1 May 2026, the landlord (or we, on the landlord's behalf) must provide the tenant with the government's Tenancy Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. Failure to do so can result in a civil penalty of up to £7,000. We have a process in place to deliver this to all in-scope tenants by the deadline.

11. Deposit protection

Tenancy deposits are protected within 30 days of receipt under the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) Custodial scheme. We provide each tenant with the prescribed information confirming:

The scheme name and contact details
The amount of the deposit
The address of the property
The circumstances under which the deposit may be withheld
The dispute resolution process at the end of the tenancy

12. Material information on listings

We comply with our duty to provide material information on property listings under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (which since 6 April 2025 has replaced the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations as the primary regime), as enforced by the Competition and Markets Authority.

We include the information required by Parts A, B, and (where relevant) C of the previously published material information framework, including council tax band, rent, tenure, property type, construction, room information, utilities, parking, and any material issues such as flood risk, restrictive covenants, building safety matters, or known defects.

13. Client Money Protection and financial transparency

All client money (deposits, rent, and pre-tenancy funds) is held in a designated Client Money Account, separately identified from our office account. We are a member of the UKALA Client Money Protection Scheme. Our CMP certificate is published on our compliance page.

We provide reconciled statements to landlords and, on request, to tenants.

14. Complaints and redress

We are a member of the Property Redress Scheme (PRS), a government-approved redress scheme. Our full Complaints Procedure is published on our website. In summary:

Submit your complaint in writing
We acknowledge within three working days
We issue a formal written outcome within 15 working days of acknowledgement
If you remain dissatisfied, you may request a senior review, with a final viewpoint issued within 15 working days
If still unresolved, you may refer the matter to the Property Redress Scheme within 12 months of our final viewpoint letter

Once the Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman becomes operational under the Renters' Rights Act, we will update our procedure to reflect any additional avenues available to tenants.

15. Record-keeping

We maintain detailed records of every enquiry and tenancy, including:

Initial enquiry information and communications
Right to Rent and sanctions check evidence
References and affordability assessments
Decisions and the reasons for them
Tenancy agreements and the prescribed information
Deposit protection certificates
Payment receipts and reconciliations
Complaints and redress correspondence

Records are kept securely and in accordance with our Privacy Policy and our statutory retention obligations.

16. Training and quality assurance

All staff undergo regular training on:

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 and its phased implementation
The Tenant Fees Act 2019
The Right to Rent Code of Practice
The Equality Act 2010, including the new RRA anti-discrimination provisions
Material information and the DMCC Act 2024
AML, sanctions, and financial-crime awareness, refreshed annually

Training is delivered through Propertymark, the NRLA, The Able Agent, and other recognised providers.

We carry out periodic internal audits to ensure compliance and continuous improvement.

17. Risk management

We identify and mitigate risks at every stage of the enquiry process:

Discrimination risk — mitigated by staff training, documented decision-making, and objective criteria
Right to Rent penalties — mitigated by consistent checks, statutory-code compliance, and record-keeping
Tenant Fees Act non-compliance — mitigated by clear, up-front disclosure and staff training
Sanctions and AML risk — mitigated by mandatory screening, MLRO oversight, and reporting procedures
Client money risk — mitigated by CMP scheme membership, segregated accounts, and monthly reconciliations
Complaint risk — mitigated by clear internal process and PRS membership

The procedures set out above reflect Your Home Managed's commitment to a robust, fair, and legally compliant approach to tenant enquiries and tenancies in England. We keep this procedure under review and update it as legislation and guidance evolve.