UK Act of Parliament 2019 United Kingdom

Tenant Fees Act 2019

What this means for your business

1 obligations
2 penalties
2 guides
Applies to
United Kingdom
On this page
1 compliance obligation, 2 practical guides
Read full text on legislation.gov.uk

What you must do

1 compliance obligation under this legislation.

Offences and prohibitions 1

Repeat breach of tenant‑fee rules after penalty

Unlimited fine

If you breach the Tenant Fees Act (sections 1 or 2) and you have already had a financial penalty or conviction for a different breach of the same section, committing another breach within five years creates a criminal offence. On conviction you face an unlimited fine, tried in the magistrates’ court. You cannot be convicted again for the same breach if a financial penalty under section 8 has already been imposed for that breach.

Any Person s.12 Trading Standards

Penalties for non-compliance

2 penalties under this legislation. 2 carry an unlimited fine.

Unlimited fine

Corporate liability for offences under section 12

Unlimited fine

Summary only s.13 Penalises: Repeat breach of tenant‑fee rules after penalty
Unlimited fine

Repeat breach of tenant‑fee rules after penalty

Unlimited fine

Summary only s.12 Penalises: Repeat breach of tenant‑fee rules after penalty

Practical guidance

Our guides explain how to comply with the requirements above.

Set up a property letting business

Five mandatory compliance requirements for lettings agents operating in England. Register before you trade to avoid penalties up to £30,000.

Protect tenant deposits within 30 days

Legal requirement to protect tenant deposits with government-approved scheme within 30 days. Covers deposit protection deadlines, deposit amount limits, and …

Sections and provisions

38 classified provisions from this legislation.

2 Offences and penalties 6 Powers 7 Definitions 8 Exemptions

Offences and penalties 2

  • s.12 Offences
  • s.13 Offences by bodies corporate

Powers 6

  • s.8 Financial penalties
  • s.9 Power to amend maximum financial penalties
  • s.11 Interest on payments under section 10
  • s.16 Assistance to recover amount paid
  • s.24 Lead enforcement authority
  • s.25 General duties of the lead enforcement authority

Definitions 7

  • s.1 Prohibitions applying to landlords relevant person
  • Schedule 3 Financial penalties etc the relevant period enforcement functions in relation to the private rented sector tenancy
  • s.7 Enforcement by district councils enforcement authority
  • s.14 Duty to notify when taking enforcement action local housing authority
  • s.27 Meaning of “letting agent” and related expressions letting agent letting agency work authorised person
  • s.28 Interpretation excluded licence housing long lease
  • Schedule 1 Permitted payments tenancy deposit five weeks' rent six weeks' rent

Exemptions 8

  • s.2 Prohibitions applying to letting agents
  • s.3 Prohibited and permitted payments
  • s.10 Recovery by enforcement authority of amount paid
  • s.15 Recovery by relevant person of amount paid
  • s.17 Restriction on terminating tenancy
  • s.22 Client money protection schemes: approval and designation
  • s.30 Transitional provision
  • Schedule 2 Treatment of holding deposit