Rental bidding ban: what landlords and agents must do

The rental bidding ban, in force in England since 1 May 2026, means every written advert or offer for a private let must state one specific rent, and you must not ask for or accept offers above it. That applies to you and to any agent acting for you. Price ranges, "offers over" and telling applicants that others have offered more are all banned, and each breach can cost up to £7,000.

What is the rental bidding ban?

Sections 56 and 57 of the Renters' Rights Act set two duties for anyone letting a private assured tenancy in England:

1. State one fixed rent. Every written advert or offer must give a single, specific rent. GOV.UK says: "A price range is not allowed."
2. Don't invite or accept bids. Once you have advertised, you must not push the rent above the advertised figure.

The duties apply to the landlord and to anyone acting, or purporting to act, for them, such as a letting agent, a friend who shows the property or a relative who handles enquiries. The ban covers England; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own law.

What counts as a written advert?

The ban is wide. According to GOV.UK, written adverts include:

• online listings on property portals and your own website;
• printed adverts, leaflets and notices;
• social media posts;
• emails and text messages;
• direct messages on any platform.

A "To let" board at the property is not a written advert. A written offer of a tenancy, such as an email confirming the terms to a chosen applicant, must also state the single rent.

What you must not do after advertising

Once a property has been advertised, you and anyone acting for you must not:

• ask for, or accept, an offer of rent above the advertised rent;
• publish a range of rents and invite applicants to bid;
• say that other offers have been received, to encourage higher offers;
• act in any other way that leads someone to think they need to offer more than the advertised rent.

A tenant can report a breach even after they have signed the tenancy.

Can you accept a lower offer?

The wording of section 56 bans offers above the advertised rent. It does not, on its face, stop you accepting an offer below it. GOV.UK's guidance doesn't address lower offers, so if you accept one, make sure the written offer of the tenancy states that single agreed rent.

Advert wording: allowed and not allowed

Advert wording	Allowed?
"£1,250 per month"	Yes
"£1,200 to £1,300 per month"	No: a range
"Offers over £1,200 per month"	No: invites bids
"£1,250 per month or best offer"	No: invites bids
"Rent on application"	No: every written advert must state the rent
"High demand, several offers already received"	No: suggests applicants should offer more

Set the rent you actually want before you advertise. You can't test the market with a low figure and let applicants push it up.

Choosing between several applicants

You can still choose your tenant. You just can't use rent as the tie-breaker. A fair process looks like this:

1. Advertise one fixed rent.
2. Offer viewings on the same basis to everyone, without filtering out families or benefit claimants (see the discrimination ban).
3. Reference applicants on affordability and the other checks you apply to everyone, including the right to rent check.
4. Take a holding deposit of no more than one week's rent from your chosen applicant, if you take one at all.
5. Give the chosen applicant the written statement of terms before the tenancy is agreed, and take no more than the first month's rent before it starts. See rent in advance.

Keep a short note of why you chose each tenant. If an unsuccessful applicant complains, it shows you decided on fair grounds at the advertised rent.

What are the penalties?

The council can impose a civil penalty of up to £7,000 for a breach, decided on the balance of probabilities. If you breach the same rule again within 5 years, there is an additional penalty. GOV.UK's worked example shows how this adds up:

Breaches	Maximum total (GOV.UK example)
One breach	£7,000
Two breaches of different rules	£14,000
Two breaches of the same type	£21,000

The bidding ban is not a criminal offence. See every other penalty in our guide to Renters' Rights Act fines.

Watch out: once the tenancy starts, you can't make up for a low rent straight away. A Section 13 rent increase can't take effect until 52 weeks after the tenancy began. See how often you can increase the rent.

What's coming for adverts?

The Act will also require landlords to register a property on the landlord database before marketing it and to show database IDs in adverts. That part is not in force and has no start date. GOV.UK says unoccupied properties don't need to register yet. We'll update this page when a date is confirmed. Read more about the private rented sector database.

What to do next

Check every advert template, portal listing and agent script for ranges and "offers over" wording before your next let. Then read about rent in advance, the other rule that changes how you sign up a new tenant, or go back to the Renters' Rights Act hub.