Client Money Protect
This confirms Dukes’ membership of a client money protection scheme, covering qualifying client money held by the agency under the scheme’s rules.
Open the complete certificate (opens in a new tab)EnglandLegal maximumsReviewed 17 August 2026
What can I be asked to pay?
A clear guide to the few payments that may apply in England, with the legal maximum and the official detail beside every answer.
Three figures to know first
The answer is large; the context is short. Open the complete rule only when you need it.
Work out the maximum deposits.
Enter the advertised monthly rent. This is a legal maximum, not necessarily what you will pay.
Your maximums will appear here
Holding depositUp to one week
Tenancy depositUp to five or six weeks
Maximums are set by law; a particular tenancy may ask for less.
Before moving in
The three payments that can be asked for at the start, and the limit on each.
Rent As advertised or agreed
Rent cannot be asked for, encouraged or accepted before the tenancy agreement is signed. After signing, no more than one month's rent in advance can be required. A landlord cannot accept or encourage offers above the advertised rent.
Check the official tenant guidance (opens in a new tab)Holding deposit Maximum one week's rent
One holding deposit per tenancy, not per applicant. It reserves the property while checks are carried out, and there are specific rules about when it must be refunded.
Check the official tenant guidance (opens in a new tab)Tenancy deposit Maximum five weeks' rent below £50,000 annual rent; six weeks from £50,000 to £100,000
A deposit, not a fee. It must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, and you must be given the prescribed information about where it is held.
Check the official tenant guidance (opens in a new tab)Payments that may apply
Permitted payments with statutory limits. They apply only where the tenancy agreement provides for them.
Changing the tenancy at the tenant's request Up to £50, or the reasonable costs actually incurred if higher
Anything above £50 must be evidenced as reasonably incurred, for example to add or replace a tenant.
Check the official tenant guidance (opens in a new tab)Ending the tenancy without the required notice No more than the rent that would otherwise have been received
The charge cannot exceed the rent the landlord would have received had the correct notice been given.
Check the official tenant guidance (opens in a new tab)Replacement key or security device The reasonable actual cost, evidenced in writing
Only the cost of replacing the key or device, supported by written evidence of what it cost.
Check the official tenant guidance (opens in a new tab)Late rent Maximum 3% above the Bank of England base rate on the overdue amount
Only once the rent is at least 14 days overdue, and only where the tenancy agreement provides for it. It is charged on the overdue sum, not on the whole rent.
Check the official tenant guidance (opens in a new tab)Utilities, communications and council tax Only as specified in the tenancy agreement
These are ordinary running costs where the agreement makes them the tenant's responsibility. They are not agency charges.
Check the official tenant guidance (opens in a new tab)
These are not tenant charges
The cost cannot be passed to a tenant in England. Open any example to see what that means.
Referencing
The tenant cannot be billed for affordability, employment or previous-landlord checks.
Right to Rent checks
The legal immigration-status check is not a tenant fee.
Tenancy administration or set-up
Preparing the agreement, arranging signatures and ordinary set-up cannot be passed to the tenant.
Renewing a tenancy
A tenant cannot be charged simply for renewing or extending the agreement.
Inventories, check-in and check-out
The tenant cannot be billed for the agent's inventory or routine check-in and check-out service.
Registering the deposit
The cost of protecting a tenancy deposit cannot be passed to the tenant.
Mandatory professional cleaning
A blanket professional-cleaning fee cannot be required; the property can still be expected back in the agreed condition.
Some may still be services paid for by the landlord. Check the official prohibited-payments guidance (opens in a new tab).
See the protection, not just the promise
Dukes publishes its client money protection and independent redress certificates in full.
Property Redress
This confirms Dukes’ membership of an independent redress scheme, giving consumers an external route when a complaint cannot be resolved directly.
Open the complete certificate (opens in a new tab)Take the clear version with you
Two short Dukes guides collect the essentials in a calm, printable format. Each includes the official links used to check the figures.
Official guidance
- Tenant Fees Act guidance for tenants (opens in a new tab)
- Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy (opens in a new tab)
- Tenancy deposit protection (opens in a new tab)
- Information landlords must give tenants (opens in a new tab)
Applies to England. Information reviewed 17 August 2026.
Questions tenants often ask
Short answers to the points most easily confused.
Will I always pay the maximum?
No. These are statutory maximums, not automatic charges. The property information and tenancy agreement confirm what applies.
Can I be charged for referencing or Right to Rent checks?
No. These services cannot be charged to a tenant in England.
Where is a tenancy deposit held?
It must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, and you must be given the prescribed information.
What if a cost is not listed here?
The list of permitted payments in England is closed. Check the official guidance or ask Dukes before agreeing to a payment you do not recognise.
Still unsure about a payment?
Send the property and payment details to Dukes. A person can help you work out what applies.