Finding somewhere to live

Renting a home privately

The easiest way to find a new place to live can often be to rent somewhere from a private landlord. Most landlords will sign a contract with you before you move in, will ensure that your property is properly maintained and that necessary repairs are carried, and will respect your rights as a tenant.

However there are always a few landlords who will not keep their part of the bargain, do not respect tenancy agreements, and are to be avoided. In order to help you ensure that you get a good deal, and that you find the right place for you. Sutton council has a responsibility to ensure privately rented properties are safe and fit in live in. As part of this duty it has legal powers to make sure both landlords and tenants behave in the correct manner so these standards are met.

Shelter provides advice on how to find a privately-rented home and what to look out for along the way.

Benefits of renting privately

• It is a practical and flexible solution
• It can be an affordable option as housing benefits can help with the cost of rent (depending on household income)
• You have a choice. You choose the type of property (e.g. ground floor with a garden) and the area where you want to live
• You can usually move in quickly

Tenancy training course

Understand how to find a home, your rights and responsibilities, living on a budget and more.

If you complete the free course we'll provide you with a one-off Resettlement Grant of between £500 and £1,000 within one month of starting your tenancy.

Enrol for the tenancy training course

How to apply

To make an application you will first need to find a property. It is very important that you do not pay any deposit or holding fee before speaking to us, as we will not be able to reimburse you for anything you have already paid. You will be asked to complete and return an Income and Expenditure Form to ensure the accommodation is affordable for you and submit recent bank statements, proof of benefits and payslips (if applicable).

Once you have somewhere suitable, please call us on 020 8770 5000 to apply.

Where to find privately rented accommodation

You can find accommodation to rent, including rooms in shared houses, through services such as:

• Gumtree
• SpareRoom
• Loot
• Zoopla
• OnTheMarket
• Propertywide

Most local papers include adverts for properties to rent, and you can contact estate agents and property agents in your area.

You can also look at noticeboards in shop windows in the area you want to live in. 

Paying for privately rented accommodation

Depending on your financial situation you may be able to claim housing benefit towards the cost of your rent. However you should be aware that some landlords may not rent out accommodation to tenants who will be relying on housing benefit to pay their rent.

If you are in receipt of benefits, there is a limit as to how much help you claim for your housing costs. This limit is called the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) and is based on the location of the property, the size and composition of your household and your age if you are a single person. To find out what is possible, search for Local Housing Allowance.

If you are under 35 and single, you will usually only be able to claim the shared accommodation rate. There are some exceptions to this. For more information visit the Shelter website. 

If you are not on full benefits, you may still qualify for help depending on your income. Please use the Entitled to benefit calculator. You will have to answer the questions as if you are currently renting privately and input the approximate rent you expect to pay.

Rent deposit scheme

When moving into a privately rented property you will usually be required to pay at least one month rent in advance and a deposit up to the value of six weeks. If you meet the criteria for the Rent Deposit Scheme, we pay the deposit and rent in advance directly to the landlord. You are given an interest free loan whereby we will make arrangements for you to pay back the rent at a rate of £20 per month. There is no set timescale on this loan repayment, but there is an option to pay more than the set £20 per month if you choose.

To qualify, you must have lived in the London Borough of Sutton for one year and can demonstrate one of the following:

• threatened with homelessness
• living in insecure accommodation
• homeless
• living in accommodation in poor repair which exacerbates health problems
• living in accommodation where there has been a relationship breakdown

All applicants who meet the criteria will be considered, but priority will be given to those in priority need.

If you are unsure whether you are eligible or would like some more information, speak to your caseworker, call 020 8770 5000 or email contactHAS@sutton.gov.uk.

We will not be able to assist where:

• we have assisted you previously and there is no payment arrangement
• you have previously been evicted for rent arrears or anti-social behaviour and there has been no change in your behaviour
• we have assisted you previously where we have had to pay out on the deposit guarantee to your previous landlord

Budgeting loans

If you don’t qualify for the Rent Deposit Scheme, you may be able to apply for a budgeting loan or budgeting advance if you can’t afford to pay rent in advance. To qualify for a budgeting loan, you or your partner must have been receiving income support or income based jobseeker’s allowance for at least 26 weeks.

You can make an application for a budgeting loan at your local Jobcentre Plus or you can apply online or download a claim form at on Gov.uk. If you are claiming Universal Credit, you can apply for a budgeting advance. To apply, please contact the Jobcentre.

Holding deposits to reserve a property

If you want to reserve a property, a letting agent may ask you to pay a holding deposit while they check your references.

Paying a holding deposit means:

• you’re committed to renting the property
• the landlord is committed to renting the property to you, subject to checks

Don’t pay a holding deposit or sign anything if you are not sure that you want the property.
Before you pay any money, ask the letting agent to confirm to you in writing:

• how the holding deposit will be used
• if it will be returned to you (this should happen if the landlord decides not to rent the property to you)
• if it will be used towards your tenancy deposit or rent
• when and why some of it may not be refunded

After you pay a holding deposit, the landlord shouldn’t ask you to pay a higher rent than you initially agreed. You have the right to change your mind and get all your holding deposit back if they do. Please note if you do have a poor credit rating or have a history of poor credit, you may wish to discuss this with the agent/landlord prior to issuing the holding deposit in case this is non refundable if references are not passed. You can check your credit score for free with Experian.

You can take the letting agent to court for breaking the agreement if they:

• decide not to rent to you when all your references and credit checks were in order
• change the fees whilst any checks are underway

Fees and charges

Before you sign a tenancy agreement, make sure you find out about all the fees you’ll be charged.

Letting agents must clearly set out the fees they charge on their websites and in their offices. They must not mislead you.

They must clearly describe:

• the cost of each fee including VAT
• what each fee covers
• the EPC rating of the property

Fees don’t have to be published in this way for websites that just advertise properties like Rightmove or Zoopla.

When your tenancy agreement ends the letting agent can ask you to pay for:

• renewing your tenancy agreement
• an inspection of the property when you move out (if they told you about it when you moved in)
• professional cleaning costs (if your tenancy or deposit agreement allow for this)

You don’t have to pay a fee to stay on after the fixed term ends if you don’t sign a new agreement.

If you are not happy about fees, you must contact the agency first to complain about fees that are hidden or unclear.

You can complain to a letting agent redress scheme if the letting agent doesn’t resolve the problem. Letting agents must be a member of a redress scheme.

If fees are unlawful or the agency doesn’t belong to a redress scheme you can complain to your local council’s trading standards department through Citizens Advice. Only agencies themselves can deal with complaints about their level of fees.

If you struggle to find a landlord who accepts benefits

Individuals on benefits often find it more difficult to find a landlord willing to rent to them. There are some steps you can take to increase your chances.

• Be prepared to compromise. If you have your heart set on a house with a garden in a certain area it will be much more difficult to find something within your budget – consider flats in areas that may not be your first choice.
• Make a good impression.
• Prepare what you are going to say to the landlord or agent when you contact them about their property.
• Don’t start the conversation by asking if the landlord accepts people on benefits – the majority of the time they will say no. It is better if they can get to know you a bit first before this is mentioned.
• Begin by explaining why you want to live in their property and why you would be a good tenant.
• Offer to send a record of your rental history and references from previous landlords.
• If you don’t have a previous landlord, ask current or ex-employers to write you a character reference.
• Dress smartly for viewings and be polite; treat the viewing as you would a job interview.
• Be honest with the landlord or agent.
• Inform them that Sutton Council can potentially look to assist with the rent in advance and deposit, if you are eligible.

Prove you can pay the rent:

• Provide payslips or housing benefit confirmation.
• Offer to pay more than one month’s rent in advance.
• Provide a ‘guarantor’. This is a friend or family member who is willing to sign a contract stating they are prepared to pay the rent if you can’t.
• Ask the council or Universal Credit to pay your housing benefit directly to your landlord.
• If you are not confident enough to negotiate with a landlord or agent, ask a friend, colleague, family member or advice worker for help.

Above all, be persistent. It may be difficult but it is not impossible. Check websites and other sources every day for new properties, and don’t give up.

Download our guide

Download our PDF guide to finding your own property