Hotline for problems with landlords

For whom

You can report a landlord's discrimination or harassment if: 

• you are looking for private rental property (not through a housing association)
• you rent a property from a private landlord or letting agent. A letting agent puts tenants in touch with private landlords.
•  you are a migrant worker with a combined employment/rental agreement. You therefore work through an employment agency and have a home because of this work.

Do you rent from a housing association? Tell this housing association about your complaint. They will deal with your complaint.

7 rules that a landlord must comply with

1. they must not discriminate
2. they must not harass tenants
3. they may not ask for more than 2 months basic rent as a deposit
4. they may not ask for unreasonable service charges
5. the rental agreement must be in writing 
6. they must inform tenants in writing about:
   • their rights and duties
   • the amount of the deposit and when tenants will get their deposit back when the rental agreement ends
   • the landlord's contact details 
   • information about the hotline for complaints about landlords
   • the service charge
7. letting agents may not charge the tenant mediation fees 

Migrant workers

To improve the protection of migrant workers, additional rules apply to landlords: 

• a migrant worker's rental agreement must be separate from their employment contract 
• the landlord must provide the tenant with written information in the language that the tenant prefers