Permitted payments under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 include:

 

1. The rent.

 

2. A default fee to replace a lost key that gives access to the house.

 

3. Payments capped at £50 (or reasonable incurred costs, if higher) for the variation, assignment or novation of a tenancy when requested by the tenant.

 

Assignment is the process whereby a person, the assignor, transfers rights, obligations or benefits to another, the assignee, for example where a new tenant takes the place of another in a house share arrangement.

 

Novation is different from assignment, it involves the creation of a new contract and requires consent of all parties.

 

Variation is the act of changing or adapting a contract.

 

4. Payments associated with early termination of the tenancy, when requested by the tenant. If the tenant requests to leave before the end of their tenancy a landlord is entitled to charge an early termination fee, which must not exceed the loss they have suffered in permitting the tenant to leave early. This would usually mean that they must not charge any more than the rent they would have received before the tenancy reaches its end. A tenant could still be required to pay rent at specified intervals as determined by their tenancy agreement until a replacement tenant is found.

 

5. Tenants remain responsible for paying their bills, which could include council tax (full time students can apply to the Council for an exemption), utility payments (e.g. gas, electricity, water and sewerage), and communication services (e.g. telephone, broadband, televison, cable or satellite packages).

 

NOTE: The tenant fees legislation does not prevent the landlord from claiming damages (compensation) from the tenants for losses suffered by the landlord due to the tenant's breach of the terms of their tenancy agreement. For example, cleaning the property to the original check-in standard, repairs or replacing a missing or damaged item.