Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

18 renters' rights & tips including...

Can you challenge rent rises? | Use rent to boost credit scores | Cheaper broadband, council tax & energy | Help if you struggle to pay

The perfect storm of high rents and the cost of living crisis continues to leave many walking a tightrope. The latest ONS figures show, in the year to April 2024, average monthly rents rose 9% to £1,293 in England, 8% to £730 in Wales, 10% to £952 in Scotland. In N Ireland they rose 10.4% in the year to Feb 2024. Our 50+ MoneySaving tips for renters contains crucial info you need to know - here are the most important ones for right now...

2. If your deposit's not protected, you could get it back... plus THREE TIMES the value. With most tenancies, your landlord/letting agent MUST put your deposit into a government-backed protection scheme by law. If they don't (or haven't), you've rights to redress. See deposit protection.

3. Broadband is YOUR choice, so switch and save £100s. Unless your tenancy agreement explicitly bans switching broadband, or you don't pay the bill, you don't need the landlord's permission for a normal switch (ie, keep the same type, just change provider). Though if you want to fit (or get rid of) cable or fibre to the home, where physical work is done, you should check.

Over seven million households are OUT OF CONTRACT and thus free to move, and if you are, it's a no-brainer for many and only takes a few minutes.

Our broadband comparison uses your postcode to find the full range of deals available in your area - currently you can get over 100Mb speed for the equivalent of around £22/mth. Do look at contract length to check it's suitable for your rental situation.

On Universal Credit or other benefits? Our comparison uniquely includes special social broadband tariffs that provide long-term cheap deals. Nearly 4m who are eligible are missing out.

4. Want renting to boost your ability to get credit? It's long been a bugbear of many renters that paying on time, diligently, doesn't automatically help their ability to get credit, including cards and ultimately mortgages. Yet it can. Our rent on your credit file section has full info, but in brief...

- Rental Exchange Initiative (Experian)*. First check if your landlord is signed up to this. It's a scheme where bigger private (500+ properties), council and social housing landlords can sign up. There's no fee for them or you. If not and you're in contact, why not suggest it? Their incentive is it helps encourage on-time rental payments.

- Canopy. Here, you the tenant sign up. It reports to Experian for free.

- CreditLadder. Here, you sign up and choose which of Experian, Equifax or TransUnion it reports to for free (so use Canopy for Experian and this for one of the others, and you've 2 out of 3 without paying a penny).

With both Canopy and Credit Ladder, you can pay to get your rental situation reported to all three agencies. Both are £8/mth or, if paying for a year upfront, it's £60/yr for Credit Ladder or £84/yr for Canopy. Of course if you do sign up for this, ensure you pay on time, or it could have the reverse impact.

5. How to boost storage and make the most of where you live. While you can't usually make permanent changes to the decor or layout if you're renting, there's still a lot you can do. Our 25 tips to boost storage and make the most of where you live includes things like bed-risers, sticky hooks and more.

6. You don't need buildings insurance, but do consider contents cover (from £5/mth). Your landlord is responsible for buildings insurance, but you need to consider insurance for your contents (an easy way to think of it is cover for all the stuff that'd fall if you turned your home upside down). Our Cheap contents insurance for tenants guide takes you through it, but in short:

1. Speedily get quotes from comparison sites. Try MoneySupermarket*, Compare The Market* and Confused.com* to bag a decent number of quotes (see how we assess the order). Carefully check the cover offered before you buy - for example, if you're in a house-share, the policy may specify you need a lock on the door to your room to be covered.
   
   
2. Check deals not on comparisons. Use this Urban Jungle* link and the code MSE_OFFER, and you'll be sent a £15 Amazon voucher within 7mths for contents-only cover. Factor that in and see if it beats other options. And if you've time, try Direct Line, which isn't on any comparison sites. It isn't always the cheapest but offers good cover levels, so worth a look.
   
   
3. Check cashback websites before buying. Once you've found the right policy, check if a cashback website will pay you.

7. Are you due a council tax discount worth £100s? You could be eligible to have your council tax bill reduced - by anything from 25% to 100%. So if...

- You live alone or only with those aged 0-17 (or others on the list below).
- You're a full-time student.
- You're on a low income.
- You get Pension Credit or other benefits.
- You have a disability.
- You or someone you live with has a 'severe mental impairment'.
- You're a live-in carer or live with one.

... check our Council tax discounts list to see if you can pay less (and if you're renting, you can still use our check & challenge system to see if your home's in the wrong council tax band).

8. In a house- / flat-share? Use a free app to split the bills. Keeping track of bills can be a complete nightmare, especially if there are a few of you. The Splitwise app can help.

9. Struggling to pay rent? Help, worth £1,000s, may be available. If you're finding it hard to pay your rent, first talk to your landlord to let them know you're struggling, see if you can agree a payment plan to ease pressure - some will, some won't, but communicating is better than just not paying. Plus look for help:

a) Check if you qualify for Universal Credit. If you've household income below £40,000, do a 10-min benefit check-up as housing costs can be included. Jane tried it and emailed: "We completed the 10-min checker and have been amazed at the support. The rent help and council tax reduction saved us an incredible £3,400/yr. It means so much to us - thank you so much."

b) Apply for a discretionary housing payment. If you receive the housing element of Universal Credit, or Housing Benefit, you may be due help from your council. See Shelter's info for England | Wales | Scotland, or info for N Ireland.

c) Apply for a charity grant. Some charities may offer help - search for grants available in your area via Turn2us or Lightning Reach.

d) Facing eviction? There's still hope - see eviction help.

10. Beware bogus charges - letting fees are BANNED. As our guide to what they can and CAN'T charge explains, since 2019, charges for credit checks, photocopying and so on have been banned across England, Scotland & Wales (some are still allowed in N Ireland).

11. Furnish your home for nowt & spruce up your space. If you've rented unfurnished or part-furnished, online giveaway sites can help you find what you need for nowt. eBay's also worth checking for cheap stuff too - see our 40 eBay buying tips.

12. Renting privately in London? Check your home's properly licensed. If not, you could be owed £1,000s... if your landlord hasn't followed the rules. Use the property licence checker to find out.

13. One day, maybe, wanna own a house? Just in case, put at least £1 in a LISA - it could be worth £1,000s. If you've never owned a home and are aged 18 to 39, you can open a Lifetime ISA (LISA). Do that and the state adds 25% on top of any savings, up to £4,000 a year (so do the max and you get £1,000/yr free), as long as it's put towards a home costing under £450,000.

Yet to get the bonus, the LISA has to have been open a year, so pop a quid in now to start the clock ticking, then when you're ready to save, put cash in so you're eligible for bonuses quicker. There are real pros & cons to this though, so before putting more than £1 in, read our full Top Lifetime ISAs guide.

As Jordan emailed: "Another Lifetime ISA success for you - I saved 7 years and my partner 6, so we got £13,000 towards our deposit from the Government. With interest, that got us to a 20% deposit on a £330k property we completed on a couple of months ago."

14. If you're in a dispute with your landlord, help's available - and they have responsibilities, too. If you think you've been unfairly treated during your tenancy - or your landlord hasn't kept the home safe and in good working order - there are official bodies to help you complain (though they have limited powers). See landlord responsibilities and your rights.

15. Did you have joint bills accounts with old housemates? If so, delink them. If you had joint bills accounts with flatmates, then your credit files may be linked, meaning their file can be looked at when you apply for a mortgage. Best to delink your credit files if you can.

16. Save 60%+ on rent by becoming a 'property guardian'. If you can be flexible about where you live and are happy to move frequently, you can baby-sit empty properties to deter squatters.

These can be private homes, office blocks, fire stations, churches, pubs, schools and more. Rent's usually a fraction of what you'd normally pay - for example, this week we found a room in Hull for £165/mth and a room (in a former school) in Hunstanton for £285/mth. Full info in property guardians.

17. More bedrooms in your home than people (or the same number)? Switching to a water meter can save you £100s. If you've a six-month or longer fixed-term tenancy agreement and pay the water bills yourself, you DON'T need your landlord's permission to get a water meter (though courtesy says it's worth discussing it with them). So see our water saving guide & calcs to find out if you can save £100s.

18. High energy bills? Fixed deals are returning and renters are eligible for help too. There are now several energy deals you can switch to and save, and as long as you don't need a new meter, you don't need your landlord's permission. Try our relaunched Cheap Energy Club to do a full comparison. Also see our Help if you're struggling to pay energy bills guide. It's also worth a check to see if you're entitled to free insulation.