Home Truths Program

Session 1 of 12 · about 10 minutes

Ready or Not?

Your first home is one of the biggest steps you’ll take. This session is about what it really involves, day to day, so you can go in prepared rather than surprised.

By the end of this session you will be able to

Describe what a tenancy commits you to, in practical terms
Explain what “tenancy sustainment” means and why tenancies fail
Work out roughly what your first home will cost to set up and run
Rate your own readiness honestly across five skill areas

What a first home actually looks like

Forget the flat you’ve seen on TV. A typical first home for a young person in the UK is a one-bed flat, a studio, a room in a shared house or supported accommodation. It may be partly furnished or completely empty. There may be a boiler you’ve never seen the like of, a meter that needs topping up, and a stack of post addressed to people who don’t live there any more.

And it will be yours. Your key, your front door, your rules about who comes in. That’s the part people remember. What they don’t always picture is that the fridge doesn’t fill itself, the bins have a collection day, and rent goes out whether or not it’s been a good month.

What you’re signing up for

A tenancy is a legal contract. In plain terms, when you sign one you’re agreeing that:

You’ll pay the rent, in full, on the date it’s due, every time
You’ll pay the bills that aren’t included (usually gas, electricity, water, council tax, broadband, TV licence)
You’ll look after the property and report anything that breaks
You’ll behave in a way that doesn’t cause problems for neighbours
You’ll follow the rules in the agreement (pets, smoking, visitors, decorating)
You’ll give proper notice if you want to leave

In return, the landlord agrees to give you a safe, working home and leave you in peace to live in it. Session 4 goes into both sides in detail.

What “tenancy sustainment” means

Housing workers use this phrase a lot. It simply means keeping your tenancy going: staying in your home, without arrears, warnings or notices, for as long as you want to be there. Getting a home is a moment. Sustaining it is a set of habits repeated every week.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth. Tenancies rarely fail because of one big disaster. They fail because of a pattern:

A rent payment is missed, and nothing is said
Post goes unopened because it looks scary
A repair goes unreported, and gets worse
Friends stay over a lot, and a neighbour complains
Letters become warnings, and warnings become a notice

Every step of that pattern is interruptible. The whole point of this programme is to show you where and how.

What it costs to set up

Before the first month’s rent, most first homes need some one-off spending. Not everything is needed on day one, but it helps to know what’s coming. Rough figures for a small flat, buying cheaply and second-hand where you can:

Item	Rough cost	Notes
Deposit	Up to 5 weeks' rent	Private rentals. Social housing usually has no deposit. Ask about a deposit guarantee scheme if you can’t raise it.
First month’s rent in advance	One month’s rent	Nearly always required before you get keys
Bed, mattress, bedding	£120–£300	Mattress new if you can; frames are cheap second-hand
Kitchen basics	£60–£120	Pans, plates, cutlery, kettle, toaster, sharp knife, chopping board
Cleaning kit	£20–£30	Session 8 lists what you actually need
Fridge / washing machine	£0–£300	Often included. If not, ask about grants (below)
Curtains, lamp, towels	£40–£80	Charity shops and community furniture projects
Food for the first week	£30–£50	Plus cupboard basics: oil, salt, rice, pasta, tins

Help with setting up: if you’re on a low income, on Universal Credit, or leaving care, you may be able to get help with furniture and essentials. Ask about your council’s Household Support Fund or local welfare assistance, a Budgeting Advance from Universal Credit, the Setting Up Home Allowance if you’re a care leaver, charity grants (search Turn2us), and local furniture reuse projects. Ask your housing officer or support worker what’s available where you live.

The five skills that keep a tenancy

Each of these is covered in the sessions ahead. Nobody has all of them at the start.

Skill	Looks like	Covered in
Money	Knowing what comes in and goes out, paying rent and priority bills first, having a small buffer	Sessions 5, 6, 7
Admin	Opening post, replying to messages, keeping documents, dealing with forms and accounts	Sessions 3, 4, 11
Home	Cleaning, ventilating, basic cooking, reporting repairs, simple DIY	Session 8
People	Neighbours, visitors, saying no, dealing with complaints, asking for help	Session 9
Self	Routines, food, sleep, noticing when you’re struggling, reaching out	Session 10

Jay, 18

Jay got the keys to a one-bed flat in March. The first month was the best of Jay’s life: own space, own rules. By June, Jay had missed rent twice (the money “just went”), hadn’t opened any post for weeks, and the flat was cold because the prepayment meter kept running out. The landlord’s letters about arrears were stacked unopened on the side. A friend was basically living there, and the downstairs neighbour had complained about noise. Jay didn’t tell the support worker because it felt embarrassing, and figured it would sort itself out.

Where were the turning points?

There were at least five. A standing order set up on payday would have stopped the first missed rent. Opening post the day it arrived would have caught the first arrears letter while it was friendly. Telling the support worker after the first missed payment would have brought help before it was needed. Setting a limit with the friend would have headed off the neighbour complaint. And topping up the meter as part of a weekly routine would have kept the flat warm. None of these takes more than ten minutes. The single biggest mistake was believing it would sort itself out. Tenancy problems don’t.

Skills check

For each of the five skills (money, admin, home, people, self), give yourself a score from 1 (not confident) to 5 (very confident), and write one sentence explaining the score. Then write one thing you’d like to be able to do by the end of this programme that you can’t do now.

Small steps

Write down what you think your rent and bills will be each month (rough is fine) Find out who your support worker, personal adviser or housing officer is and save their number Ask about help with furniture and set-up costs if you need it Get a folder (or a phone folder) for tenancy paperwork

Jargon buster

Tenancy: The legal right to live in a property in return for rent, set out in an agreement.
Tenancy sustainment: Keeping your tenancy going successfully, without arrears or breaches.
Arrears: Money you owe because a payment (usually rent) was missed or paid late.
Breach: Breaking a condition of your tenancy agreement, such as not paying rent or causing a nuisance.

Home truths to remember

Keeping a home is a set of habits, and every one of them can be learned.
Tenancies fail in patterns, not explosions. Every step of the pattern can be interrupted.
Setting up costs money. There is help. Ask before you need it.

Session 2 of 12 · about 10 minutes

Finding a Place

Your options, how to apply, what a good viewing looks like, what “affordable” really means, and how to avoid the scams aimed at first-time renters.

By the end of this session you will be able to

Compare the main housing options open to young people and know how to apply for each
Work out whether a home is affordable before you commit
Carry out a viewing with a checklist and ask the right questions
Spot a rental scam and a bad landlord before money changes hands

Your options and how to get them

Type	What it is	How you get it
Social housing	Rented from a council or a housing association like Renaissance at below-market rent, usually no deposit, more secure long-term	Join the council’s housing register. You’ll be placed in a “band” based on need. Many areas use choice-based lettings, where you bid on advertised homes each week. Bid every week, on every home that fits – it’s a numbers game.
Private rent	Rented from a private landlord or via a letting agent	Portals, agents, local ads. You’ll need ID, a deposit, a month’s rent in advance, and references or a guarantor. Fastest route but highest cost.
Supported housing	A flat or room with support staff on site or visiting regularly	Referral from the council, social services, a support worker or a charity. A good first step if you’ve never lived alone, with a move-on plan into your own tenancy.
Shared house / lodging	A room in a shared house, or in someone’s home as a lodger	Cheaper, and you’re less alone. Lodgers (living with the owner) have far fewer rights than tenants. Get the arrangement in writing whichever it is.

If you’re 16 or 17, or a care leaver up to 25, the council has extra legal duties towards you. You may be entitled to priority on the housing register, a personal adviser, help with set-up costs, and exemption from some benefit limits. Talk to your social worker, personal adviser or the council’s housing options team before doing anything else.

What “affordable” actually means

A home is only affordable if you can pay the rent and everything else, every month, with something left. A common rule of thumb: rent should be no more than about a third of your income after tax. Above that, one bad month puts you in arrears.

Before you apply for anywhere, do this sum:

Your monthly income after tax (including any Universal Credit)
Minus the rent
Minus council tax, energy, water, phone, broadband (Session 7 has typical figures)
Minus food and transport

If the answer is close to zero, the home isn’t affordable, however nice it is. If you’re claiming Universal Credit for rent, check the Local Housing Allowance rate for your area on gov.uk first: it caps what UC will pay towards private rent, and you’ll be covering the gap yourself.

What you’ll need to apply

Photo ID (passport, driving licence, or ask about alternatives if you don’t have these)
Proof of your right to rent in the UK (private landlords must check this)
Proof of income: payslips, a UC statement, or a letter from your employer
References from a previous landlord, employer, college or support worker
A guarantor (someone who agrees to pay if you don’t), often asked for in private rentals. Some councils and charities run guarantor or deposit-guarantee schemes for young people – ask.
Bank details for the deposit and rent

Get these together before you start looking. Good homes go quickly, and being ready is an advantage.

The viewing

Never take a home you haven’t seen in person. Take someone with you if you can. Go in daylight. Take photos. Twenty minutes with this list can save you a year of problems.

Check	What to look for
Damp and mould	Musty smell, black spots in corners and around windows, peeling paint, wet patches. Look behind furniture and inside cupboards.
Heating and hot water	What type (gas boiler, electric heaters, storage heaters)? Ask to see it working. Electric-only heating can be expensive. Ask what last winter’s bills were.
Meters	Prepayment or credit? Where are they? Are they accessible? Is there a smart meter?
Windows and doors	Do they open, close and lock? Double glazing? Draughts?
Safety	Smoke alarm on every floor, carbon monoxide alarm where there’s a gas or solid-fuel appliance, no exposed wiring, no trip hazards on stairs
Water pressure	Run the taps and the shower
Paperwork	Ask to see the gas safety certificate, electrical safety report (EICR) and energy performance certificate (EPC). An EPC rating of D or below often means higher heating bills.
Phone signal and broadband	Check your phone in each room
Location	Bus stops, the nearest supermarket, how you’d get to work or college, how it feels after dark
What’s included	Furniture, white goods, any bills. Get it in writing.

Questions to ask

How much is the rent, when is it due, and how do I pay?
What’s the deposit and which scheme will protect it?
Which bills are included?
Who do I contact for repairs, and how quickly are they dealt with?
Why did the last tenant leave?
Are pets, smoking or decorating allowed?
Is there a notice period, and how do I give notice?

Scams and bad landlords

Young first-time renters are targeted because they’re keen and often don’t know the rules yet. Walk away if:

You’re asked for any money before you’ve viewed in person
The landlord is “abroad” and will “post the keys” once you pay
Payment is requested to a personal account, by gift card, crypto or cash without a receipt
The rent is far below everything else nearby
There’s pressure to decide today, or “lots of interest, first to pay gets it”
There’s no written tenancy agreement, or they won’t let you read it first
They want more than five weeks' rent as a deposit
They ask for “admin”, “referencing”, “viewing” or “check-in” fees – most fees to tenants have been banned in England since 2019
The place is clearly overcrowded, unsafe or has no working heating, and they brush it off

Report suspected scams to Action Fraud. If you’ve paid, contact your bank immediately.

Priya, 20

Priya finds a studio online for £150 a month less than anything else nearby. The “landlord” messages that he’s working in Germany, several people are interested, and if she transfers the deposit and first month’s rent today he’ll post the keys. He sends a photo of a passport to “prove” who he is. Priya has £900 saved and is desperate to move out of her mum’s.

What should Priya do?

Nothing, except report the advert. Every warning sign is present: too cheap, pressure, landlord abroad, payment before viewing, no agreement. A passport photo proves nothing. If Priya paid, the £900 would be gone and there would be no flat. The frustration of being stuck at her mum’s is real, but it’s temporary. A scam is £900 and no home. Priya’s better move is to register with the council, join the choice-based lettings scheme, ask a support worker about deposit guarantee schemes, and view real properties in person.

Your search plan

Write down: (1) the type of housing that fits your situation and why, (2) the documents you already have and the ones you need to get, (3) three questions you will definitely ask at a viewing, and (4) the most you could afford in rent, using the sum above.

Small steps

Register on your council’s housing register, or check your banding if you’re already on it Gather your ID, proof of income and a reference into one folder Look up the Local Housing Allowance rate for your area on gov.uk Save the viewing checklist to your phone

Jargon buster

Choice-based lettings: A system where available social homes are advertised and you “bid” (express interest) on the ones you want.
Banding: Your priority level on the housing register, based on need.
Guarantor: Someone who legally agrees to pay your rent if you don’t.
Right to rent check: A check private landlords in England must do to confirm you can legally rent in the UK.
EPC: Energy performance certificate: a rating from A (very efficient) to G (very inefficient). Lower ratings usually mean higher bills.

Home truths to remember

Under 18 or a care leaver? The council owes you more than you think. Ask.
Affordable means rent and everything else, with something left. Do the sum first.
Never pay before you’ve viewed in person and have it in writing. Too cheap, too fast, too far away is a scam.

Session 3 of 12 · about 10 minutes

Signing on the Line

The tenancy agreement, the deposit, the documents you must be given, the inventory, and your first 48 hours with the keys.

By the end of this session you will be able to

Find and explain the key terms in a tenancy agreement
Describe how deposit protection works and check your own deposit
Complete a move-in inventory that protects you
Work through a first-48-hours checklist for a new home

What a tenancy agreement is

It’s a contract between you and your landlord. It sets out what you pay, what you get, and what each of you must do. Most private and housing association tenancies in England are assured tenancies. The law gives you certain rights whatever the agreement says, and a landlord can’t write those rights away. Anything in an agreement that tries to (for example, “the tenant is responsible for all repairs”) is unenforceable.

Housing associations often use a starter tenancy for new tenants: a trial period, usually 12 months, after which it converts to a full assured tenancy if there have been no serious problems. If you’re on one, the first year matters. Treat it as the year you prove yourself.

The law changed in 2026. Under the Renters' Rights Act, private tenancies in England are now periodic (rolling) from the start rather than fixed-term, “no-fault” evictions have been abolished, rent can normally only be increased once a year with proper notice, and tenants give two months' notice to leave. Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Housing law changes, so always check the current position on gov.uk or with Shelter.

Read these sections before you sign

Section	What to check
Parties and address	Your full legal name spelled correctly. The landlord’s name and an address in England or Wales for notices (if you rent through an agent, the landlord’s details must still be provided on request).
Rent	The exact amount, the due date, how to pay, and which account. It should match what you were told.
Deposit	The amount and the name of the government-approved scheme protecting it.
Bills and services	Exactly which bills are included. “Bills included” with no detail is not good enough.
Notice	How much notice you must give to leave, and how (usually in writing).
Rules	Pets, smoking, visitors, overnight guests, decorating, subletting, business use. Breaking these is a breach.
Repairs	The landlord is legally responsible for the structure, exterior, heating, hot water, gas, electrics, water and sanitation. The agreement can’t shift these onto you.
Access	Should say the landlord gives at least 24 hours' notice to visit, except in emergencies.
Extras	Service charges, parking, key replacement costs, cleaning at the end. Know these before you sign, not after.

Ask for a copy in advance and read it somewhere quiet. If anything is unclear, ask. If the answer is vague, get free advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice before you sign. Once signed, you’re bound by it.

Your deposit

In England, a private landlord must place your deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receiving it and give you the scheme’s details in writing (the “prescribed information”). The three schemes are the Deposit Protection Service (DPS), MyDeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). This means:

The landlord can’t simply keep your money at the end
If you disagree about deductions, the scheme provides free dispute resolution, and the landlord has to prove any damage
If the deposit isn’t protected, you can claim compensation of one to three times the deposit through the courts

Check for yourself: about six weeks after moving in, search your postcode and surname on each scheme’s website. Keep the confirmation.

Documents your landlord must give you

A written tenancy agreement or written statement of terms
The government’s current “How to Rent” guide (private tenancies)
Deposit protection prescribed information
A gas safety certificate (renewed every 12 months) if there’s gas
The electrical safety report (EICR), renewed at least every five years
The energy performance certificate (EPC)

Keep them all together, and photograph them into a backed-up folder on your phone. If a landlord ever tries to evict you and hasn’t provided these, it can affect their ability to do so.

The inventory

The inventory records what’s in the property and its condition on the day you move in. At the end, it’s compared with how you leave it. Deposit deductions come from the difference, so this is the single most important thing you’ll do on move-in day.

Walk every room with the inventory in hand. If none is provided, make your own.
Photograph every scuff, stain, chip, crack, broken handle and mark. Include a wide shot of each room and close-ups of any damage.
Photograph the inside of the oven, the fridge, the bath, the toilet and under the sink.
Photograph all meters with the readings visible.
Note anything missing from the inventory, or anything listed as “good” that isn’t.
Email your notes and photos to the landlord or agent within a few days, so they’re timestamped. Keep the sent email.

Remember: fair wear and tear (normal use over time) can’t be charged for. Worn carpet after three years is wear and tear. A wine stain is damage.

Your first 48 hours with the keys

Do the inventory and photos (above)
Take meter readings and photograph them
Find the stopcock (the tap that turns off the water), the fuse box and the boiler controls. Ask the landlord or agent to show you. Take photos so you can find them again.
Test the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarm
Check every window and door locks, and that you have all the keys listed (including any for meter cupboards, bin stores or the post box)
Find out the bin collection days and which bin is which (the council website will tell you)
Contact the energy suppliers, water company and council (Session 7 walks you through it)
Set up your rent payment (Session 6)
Register with a GP near your new home
Tell people your new address: bank, employer, UC, DVLA, phone company, college

Marcus, 19

Marcus was excited to get the keys and skipped the inventory: the agent said “it’s just a formality, sign here”. Eighteen months later he moved out and the agent claimed £340 from his deposit for a “damaged carpet” and “marked walls”. Marcus is certain the carpet stain was there when he arrived, but he has no photos and signed an inventory he never read that described everything as “good condition”.

What now, and what should have happened?

Marcus should still raise a dispute through the deposit scheme: the landlord has to prove Marcus caused the damage, and wear and tear over 18 months can’t be charged. But with no move-in photos and a signed inventory saying “good”, it’s his word against theirs. Twenty minutes with a phone camera on day one, and one email to the agent saying “the carpet in the living room has a stain by the window, see attached”, would have made the £340 claim impossible. Never sign an inventory you haven’t checked.

Decode the jargon and plan your first day

In your own words, explain “starter tenancy”, “deposit protection scheme” and “fair wear and tear” as if to a friend. Then write your own first-48-hours list in the order you’d actually do things, and note who you’d need to contact for each.

Small steps

If you already have a tenancy: find your agreement and read the rent, deposit, notice and rules sections Check your deposit is protected on the DPS, MyDeposits and TDS websites Photograph your tenancy documents into a backed-up folder Find your stopcock, fuse box and boiler controls Test your smoke alarms

Jargon buster

Assured tenancy: The standard type of tenancy for most renters in England, with legal protections.
Starter tenancy: A trial tenancy used by many housing associations for the first 12 months.
Periodic tenancy: A rolling tenancy with no fixed end date, continuing until you or the landlord end it properly.
Prescribed information: The written details about your deposit protection that a landlord must give you.
Inventory: The record of the property’s contents and condition at the start of your tenancy.
Fair wear and tear: Normal deterioration from everyday use, which can’t be deducted from your deposit.
Stopcock: The valve that turns off the water supply to the property. Find it before you need it.

Home truths to remember

Read before you sign. Ask before you sign. Keep a copy after you sign.
Check your deposit is protected. It’s your money.
Day one: inventory, photos, meters, stopcock, alarms, email. Twenty minutes that can save hundreds.

Session 4 of 12 · about 10 minutes

Rights and Responsibilities

A tenancy works both ways. Knowing what your landlord must do, what you must do, and what to do when either side falls short, stops small disagreements becoming big ones.

By the end of this session you will be able to

List your main rights as a tenant in England and where they come from
List your main responsibilities and what happens if you don’t meet them
Handle a landlord visit, a rent increase and a request for access correctly
Recognise harassment and illegal eviction and know exactly who to call

Your landlord must

Duty	What it means in practice
Keep the structure and exterior in repair	Roof, walls, windows, external doors, drains, gutters, pipes
Keep installations working	Heating, hot water, boiler, gas, electrics, water supply, sinks, baths, toilets
Keep the home fit to live in	Free from serious hazards including damp and mould, cold, fire risks, pests and structural problems. This comes from the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act and the Decent Homes Standard.
Do safety checks	Annual gas safety check, electrical inspection at least every five years, smoke alarms on every floor, carbon monoxide alarms where needed
Protect your deposit and give you documents	Covered in Session 3
Respect your right to quiet enjoyment	At least 24 hours' written notice to visit, at a reasonable time, unless it’s a genuine emergency. No letting themselves in. No turning up unannounced.
Follow the law to end a tenancy	Proper notice, then a court order, then bailiffs. Never lock changes, threats, cutting off services or removing your belongings.
Not discriminate	Against you because of race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion, pregnancy or age. Since 2026 it’s also unlawful to refuse tenants simply because they receive benefits or have children.

You must

Duty	What happens if you don’t
Pay the rent in full, on time	Arrears, warnings, and eventually a possession claim. Serious arrears (usually three months or more) give the landlord a strong legal ground.
Pay the bills you’ve agreed to	Debt, disconnection risk, and a council tax summons
Use the home in a “tenant-like manner”	Keep it reasonably clean, ventilate it, don’t damage it, do small things like changing bulbs and unblocking a sink you blocked. Neglect can be charged from your deposit or become a breach.
Report repairs promptly	Unreported problems get worse and you can be held responsible for the extra damage (a small leak that becomes a collapsed ceiling)
Allow access for repairs and safety checks with proper notice	Refusing access for a gas safety check can itself be a breach. You can ask to rearrange, but not refuse outright.
Not cause nuisance or annoyance	Noise, antisocial behaviour, visitors causing trouble: warnings, and antisocial behaviour is a ground for possession
Not sublet, take lodgers or let someone move in without permission	A breach, and it can affect your benefits and your right to stay
Follow the agreement’s rules	Pets, smoking, decorating, business use
Give proper notice to leave	Leaving without notice means you still owe rent for the notice period, and a bad reference

Three situations you’ll definitely face

The landlord wants to visit. They’re entitled to inspect occasionally and to get in for repairs and checks. They must give you 24 hours' notice in writing and come at a reasonable time. You can ask to change the time. You can be there. Housing associations often do a “settling-in visit” in the first few weeks and periodic inspections after that; treat them as a chance to raise repairs, not an exam.

The rent is going up. Landlords can normally raise the rent once a year, with at least two months' written notice on the proper form (a “Section 13” notice in private rentals). Housing associations usually increase rent each April and write to you beforehand. If a private increase looks well above local market rent, you can challenge it at a tribunal. Get advice first. Either way, update your budget and, if you claim UC, report the change straight away.

Something’s broken and nothing’s happening. Report it in writing, give a reasonable time, chase in writing, then escalate (Session 8 has the full process).

Harassment and illegal eviction

These are criminal offences under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. Harassment includes: repeated unannounced visits, threats, cutting off gas, electricity or water, removing doors or belongings, or pressuring you to leave. Illegal eviction is being locked out, having the locks changed, or being physically removed without a court order and bailiffs.

If this happens:

Don’t leave. If you’ve been locked out, you have the right to get back in.
Call the council’s tenancy relations officer or housing options team – councils can prosecute and can help you regain access.
If you’re threatened or feel unsafe, call 999. Police can attend an illegal eviction in progress.
Call Shelter for urgent advice.
Write down what happened, when, and who saw it. Keep texts and messages.

If your landlord breaks the rules (non-emergency)

Put it in writing – email or text – say what the problem is and what you want done. Keep a copy.
Give a reasonable time to respond (a few days for most things).
Escalate: for a housing association, use their formal complaints process; for a private landlord, contact the council’s private sector housing or environmental health team, who can inspect and order works.
Still stuck? Housing association tenants can go to the Housing Ombudsman once the landlord’s complaints process is finished. Private tenants can get advice from Shelter, Citizens Advice or a law centre about further steps.

Aisha, 21

Aisha’s private landlord has started “popping round” to check on the flat without warning, sometimes while she’s in the shower. Last week she came home and found him inside, “just checking the boiler”. When she objected he said, “It’s my property, I can come in when I want. If you don’t like it you can leave.”

Is he right, and what should Aisha do?

He’s wrong on both counts. Aisha has the right to quiet enjoyment: 24 hours' written notice, reasonable times, and no entering without her agreement except in a genuine emergency. “You can leave” is not how tenancies end. Aisha should write to him (keeping a copy) stating this, asking him to stop, and saying she’s happy to arrange access for genuine repairs with notice. If it continues, the council’s tenancy relations officer can step in: repeated unannounced entry can be harassment, a criminal offence. She should also keep a diary of every visit.

Write the message

Imagine you’re Aisha. Draft a short, calm, firm message to the landlord. Say what has happened, what the law says about notice and access, what you’re happy to do (arrange access with notice), and what you want to happen from now on.

Small steps

Find your landlord’s or housing association’s repairs number and complaints process and save them Find the contact for your council’s housing options or tenancy relations team Check when your last gas safety check was (it’s on the certificate) Start a simple “tenancy diary” note on your phone for anything that happens with the landlord

Jargon buster

Quiet enjoyment: Your legal right to live in your home without interference from the landlord.
Tenant-like manner: The legal phrase for looking after your home the way a reasonable person would.
Section 13 notice: The formal notice a private landlord must use to increase rent.
Tenancy relations officer: A council officer who deals with harassment and illegal eviction.
Housing Ombudsman: An independent body that investigates complaints about social landlords once their own process is exhausted.

Home truths to remember

The landlord owns the building. You have the right to live in it in peace.
Report, allow access, pay on time, keep it decent. Those four cover most of your side.
Nobody can remove you without a court order. Lock changes and threats are crimes. Call the council.

Session 5 of 12 · about 10 minutes

Money In, Money Out

A budget is a plan for making your money last until next payday with the important things covered. This session builds one, line by line, using real first-home figures.

By the end of this session you will be able to

Build a monthly budget with realistic figures for a first home
Separate priority bills from everything else and explain why
Use four techniques that make money last to payday
Check you’re getting all the money you’re entitled to

Step 1: what comes in

Add up everything you receive in a typical month, after tax: wages, Universal Credit, other benefits, maintenance, bursaries, anything regular. If your hours vary, use your lowest recent month, not your best. If you’re on UC, remember it’s paid monthly, and the amount changes if your earnings change.

Step 2: what must go out (priority bills)

Some bills are “priority” because of what happens when you don’t pay them. These come first, always.

Priority bill	Typical monthly cost for a first home	Why it’s priority
Rent	Varies. Social: often £400–£700. Private one-bed: £600–£1,200+ depending on area	Fall behind and you can lose your home
Council tax	£80–£150 after single person discount (Band A–B), less with Council Tax Reduction	Councils get court orders and use bailiffs fast, adding £100s in costs
Gas and electricity	£80–£150 for a small flat; more with electric heating or a poorly insulated home	Disconnection or forced prepayment meter, debt taken from every top-up
Water	£25–£45	Can’t be disconnected, but debt is chased and affects credit
TV licence (if you watch live TV/iPlayer)	About £14.50	Fines up to £1,000
Court fines, child maintenance	If applicable	Enforcement is quick and serious

Non-priority debts matter, but the consequences are slower and you have more room to negotiate: credit cards, buy-now-pay-later, catalogues, phone contracts, overdrafts, money owed to friends. If you’re short, these are the ones to talk to. Never the rent.

Step 3: living costs

Cost	Realistic monthly figure for one person	Tips
Food	£150–£250	Cook from scratch, plan meals, own-brand, batch cook. Takeaways and lunches out are where money disappears.
Phone	£8–£30	SIM-only deals are far cheaper than contracts with a handset. Social tariffs exist if you’re on UC.
Broadband	£15–£30	Social tariffs on UC from about £15. Check the contract length.
Transport	£40–£120	Weekly or monthly passes, 16–25 Railcard, walk or cycle where you can
Toiletries and cleaning	£15–£25	Own-brand, bulk buy basics
Clothes, haircuts	£20–£40	Budget for it so it isn’t a surprise
Going out, subscriptions	Whatever’s left, minus savings	Check subscriptions monthly. Cancel what you don’t use.

Step 4: the sum

Income, minus priority bills, minus living costs. If it’s positive, put some aside every month, even £10. If it’s negative, something has to change now: cut non-essentials, check your entitlements (below), or get free advice. Hoping is not a plan.

Four techniques that make money last

Payday pots. The day money comes in, move rent and priority bills into a separate account or “pot” (most banking apps let you do this in seconds). What’s left is what you actually have. You cannot accidentally spend the rent.
The weekly number. Divide what’s left by the number of weeks until next payday. That’s your weekly limit. Check it every Sunday night.
The 24-hour rule. Anything over £20 that isn’t essential, wait a day. Most of the time you won’t buy it.
The £5 buffer. Round every bill up in your budget and move the difference into savings. It’s invisible day to day and adds up to a cushion.

Check what you’re entitled to

Many young people miss out on money they could be claiming. Run a free benefits calculator (Turn2us or entitledto) or ask a support worker to do it with you. Things to check:

Universal Credit, including the housing element for rent
Council Tax Reduction (applied for separately, through the council)
Help with NHS costs (prescriptions, dental, glasses) if you’re on a low income
Warm Home Discount and energy supplier hardship funds
Social tariffs for broadband and mobile
Free or discounted travel schemes for young people in your area
Grants for essentials: Household Support Fund, Budgeting Advance, charity grants

Credit, borrowing and buy-now-pay-later

Borrowing will be offered to you constantly: overdrafts, credit cards, buy-now-pay-later at the checkout, catalogue accounts. A few things nobody tells you:

Buy-now-pay-later plans are debt. Three or four running at once quietly takes £50–£100 a month.
Missed payments are recorded and affect your credit file for six years, which affects future renting, phone contracts and borrowing.
Never use a payday loan or a doorstep lender for rent. If you’re that short, get free debt advice instead (Session 6).
Loan sharks (unlicensed lenders) are illegal. If someone’s lending you money with threats, contact Stop Loan Sharks on 0300 555 2222.
A credit union is a safe place to save and, when needed, borrow at fair rates.

Tyler, 22

Tyler earns £1,450 a month after tax. Rent is £650, council tax £95, gas and electric about £110, water £30, phone £35. He’s paid on the 28th and usually has about £20 left by the 20th. He can’t work out where it goes. He has three buy-now-pay-later plans, two subscriptions he’d forgotten about, and buys lunch out most days.

Do the maths

Priority bills and phone total £920, leaving £530 for the month, about £122 a week. Lunches out at £8 a day are roughly £160 a month. The forgotten subscriptions are £25. The buy-now-pay-later plans are taking £90. That’s £275 – over half of what Tyler has to live on – and none of it is rent, but all of it is why rent feels tight. Payday pots would have made the rent safe; the weekly number would have shown Tyler the problem in week one. Packed lunches alone would free up £120 a month.

Your first budget

Using the tables above, write out your income, your priority bills, your living costs and the sum. Then write your weekly number. If you don’t have real figures yet, use the typical ones – the habit matters more than the accuracy today. Finish with one thing you’ll cut or change.

Small steps

Look at last month’s bank statement and highlight every non-essential spend Set up a “bills” pot or account in your banking app Run a benefits calculator (Turn2us or entitledto) List every subscription and buy-now-pay-later plan you have, and cancel at least one Check whether you qualify for a social broadband or mobile tariff

Jargon buster

Priority bill: A bill where not paying has serious, fast consequences (losing your home, bailiffs, disconnection).
Council Tax Reduction: A council scheme that reduces council tax for people on a low income. You have to apply.
Social tariff: A cheaper broadband or mobile deal for people on certain benefits.
Credit file: Your borrowing history, held by credit reference agencies and checked by lenders, landlords and phone companies.
Credit union: A community savings-and-loans organisation offering fair rates.

Home truths to remember

Priority bills first, every month: rent, council tax, energy, water.
Move the important money aside on payday. Live on the weekly number.
Claim everything you’re entitled to. If the sum doesn’t add up, get free advice now.

Session 6 of 12 · about 10 minutes

Rent First

Rent is the bill that keeps the roof over your head. How to pay it reliably, how Universal Credit fits in, how to read your rent account, and exactly what to do the moment you can’t pay.

By the end of this session you will be able to

Set up rent so it’s paid automatically and on time, and check it’s arrived
Explain how the housing element of Universal Credit works, including the five-week wait
Read a rent statement and spot a problem early
Follow a five-step plan when you can’t pay in full

Make rent automatic

The most reliable method is a standing order from your bank to the landlord’s account, set to go out the day after your money comes in. You control it, it happens without you thinking, and you get a bank record every month. Housing associations may offer direct debit, which they control – also fine. If you must pay another way, always get a receipt or a bank record. Never pay cash without a signed, dated receipt.

Set the payment for the day after payday, not the due date. If the due date is the 1st and you’re paid on the 28th, pay on the 29th. Rent that’s early is never late.

Reading your rent account

Housing associations send rent statements (often quarterly, and usually available online or by app). Private landlords may not, so keep your own record. A statement shows:

Charges – the rent (and any service charges) added each week or month
Payments – what’s been received, from you and from UC if paid direct
Balance – what you owe. A balance “in arrears” means you’re behind; “in credit” means ahead.

Check it every month. If a payment you made isn’t showing, or the balance is going up when it shouldn’t, contact the landlord the same week. Common causes: a standing order set for the wrong amount, a UC payment delayed, or a rent increase you didn’t adjust for.

Weekly vs monthly: many social rents are charged weekly but paid monthly. There are 52 weeks in a year, not 48, so monthly rent is weekly rent × 52 ÷ 12, not × 4. A £120 weekly rent is £520 a month, not £480. Getting this wrong is one of the commonest ways small arrears build without anyone noticing.

Universal Credit and rent

If you’re on a low income, UC can include a housing element towards your rent.

The five-week wait. UC is paid monthly in arrears, and the first payment arrives about five weeks after you claim. Your rent doesn’t wait. Options: ask for an advance (a loan repaid from later payments), tell your landlord the exact date your first payment is due, and if you’re moving from another benefit, ask about run-on payments.
Who gets paid. The housing element normally comes to you, and you pay the landlord. If you’d rather it went straight to the landlord, ask your work coach for an Alternative Payment Arrangement (APA). Many young tenants say this is the single thing that made rent feel manageable.
Local Housing Allowance. In private rentals, the housing element is capped at the LHA rate for your area. Single and under 35, you usually get the “shared accommodation rate” (the cost of a room, not a flat), unless you’re exempt. Care leavers under 25 and some other groups are exempt, so check.
Social rent. If you’re in social housing and have more bedrooms than the rules say you need, the housing element is reduced (the “bedroom tax”).
Shortfalls. If UC doesn’t cover all your rent, apply to your council for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP). It’s short-term, but it’s real money.
Report changes the same day through your UC journal: moving in, rent going up, starting or changing work. Late reporting causes overpayments you have to repay, or underpayments that leave you short.
Your rent must be verified. You’ll be asked for proof of rent (your agreement or a letter from the landlord). Do this promptly or the housing element won’t be paid.

If you can’t pay in full: the five-step plan

Tell your landlord before the due date. “I’m going to be £150 short on the 1st. I can pay the rest on the 15th.” This one message changes how everything that follows is handled. Silence looks like you don’t care.
Pay what you can, on the day. Part payment shows good faith and keeps the arrears small.
Work out why. One-off (car repair, lost shifts) or ongoing (rent higher than income)? One-offs need a repayment plan. Ongoing needs a bigger fix: a benefits check, a DHP, or a conversation about a cheaper home.
Get free advice within the week. Shelter, Citizens Advice, StepChange, National Debtline, or your support worker. They do this every day, and landlords take them seriously.
Agree a written plan and keep to it. Small regular amounts on top of the rent (£5–£20 a week is normal) clear arrears. Breaking an agreed plan is worse than never making one, so only agree what you can actually afford.

Free, confidential help
Shelter: 0808 800 4444 | Citizens Advice (England): 0800 144 8848 | National Debtline: 0808 808 4000 | StepChange: 0800 138 1111 | Centrepoint (16–25s): 0808 800 0661

What arrears letters look like, and what they mean

Letter	What it usually says	What to do
Reminder	“Your account is £x in arrears. Please contact us.”	Contact them. Explain. Pay something. Agree a plan.
Formal arrears notice / warning	“If arrears aren’t cleared or a plan agreed, we may take action to end your tenancy.”	Respond in writing. Attend any meeting. Get advice now.
Notice seeking possession	A legal notice with the grounds and a date after which court action may start	Session 11. Get advice immediately.

None of these means you’re being evicted. Every one of them is an invitation to engage. The tenants who lose homes over arrears are almost always the ones who stopped replying.

Chloe, 19

Chloe’s hours at the café were cut from 30 to 16 a week. She’s £220 short on rent and the due date is in six days. She’s thinking of not saying anything and hoping the housing association doesn’t notice for a while, then catching up next month “when things pick up”.

What should Chloe do?

Message the housing officer today: hours cut, £220 short, will pay the rest on the 1st and propose a date for the balance. Report the earnings change in her UC journal the same day (her UC will go up, possibly by more than she expects). Apply for a DHP. Call Citizens Advice this week to check she’s getting everything (Council Tax Reduction, for instance). Landlords who hear from tenants before the due date almost always agree a plan. “Hoping they don’t notice” is how a £220 problem becomes a formal notice.

Write the “I’m going to be short” message

Draft the message you’d send your landlord or housing officer if you knew you couldn’t pay in full next month. Include: what’s happened, what you can pay and when, what you’re doing about it, and a thank you. Then write down which advice service you’d call and when.

Small steps

Set up (or check) a standing order or direct debit for rent, dated the day after payday Check your rent account or bank statement to confirm last month’s rent arrived If your rent is weekly, check your monthly payment uses × 52 ÷ 12 If you’re on UC, check your housing element is being paid and consider asking for an APA Save your housing officer’s or landlord’s contact details in your phone

Jargon buster

Standing order: A regular payment you set up and control from your bank account.
Direct debit: A regular payment the company takes from your account with your permission.
Housing element: The part of Universal Credit that helps with rent.
Alternative Payment Arrangement (APA): UC paying your housing element straight to the landlord.
Local Housing Allowance (LHA): The maximum UC will pay towards private rent in your area.
Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP): A short-term top-up from the council when benefits don’t cover the rent.
Service charge: An extra charge, common in flats, for things like communal cleaning, lighting or grounds.

Home truths to remember

Rent goes out automatically, the day after you’re paid. Check it arrived every month.
Can’t pay? Say so before the due date, pay what you can, get advice that week.
Every arrears letter is an invitation to talk. Tenants who reply keep their homes.

Session 7 of 12 · about 10 minutes

Bills, Bills, Bills

Gas, electricity, water, council tax, broadband and the TV licence. Set them up properly in your first week and they’ll cause very little trouble. Ignore them and they’ll cause a lot.

By the end of this session you will be able to

Set up every household account in your first week, step by step
Read a meter, understand a bill and choose between prepayment and credit
Cut energy use without being cold
Deal with an energy or council tax debt before it escalates

Week one: setting up your accounts

Account	What to do	What they’ll ask for
Electricity and gas	Find out who supplies the property (ask the landlord, or check online: the Meter Point Administration Service for electricity, Find My Supplier for gas). Call or go online to open an account in your name from your move-in date. Give your day-one meter readings. You can switch supplier later once you’re set up.	Your name, move-in date, meter readings, contact details, how you want to pay
Water	Contact the water company for your area (search your postcode). Register from your move-in date. Ask if you have a meter; if not, ask whether a meter would be cheaper for one person (it usually is).	Name, move-in date, meter reading if metered
Council tax	Tell the council you’ve moved in (online form). Claim the 25% single person discount if you live alone, apply for Council Tax Reduction if you’re on a low income, and ask to pay over 12 months.	Name, move-in date, who lives there, tenancy start date, income details for CTR
Broadband	Check whether the property has an existing line or full fibre. Compare social tariffs if you’re on UC. Check contract length and exit fees.	Address, bank details, ID
TV licence	Needed if you watch or record live TV on any device, or use BBC iPlayer. Not needed for other streaming only. Pay monthly if it helps.	Address, payment details
Contents insurance	Optional but strongly recommended. The landlord’s insurance doesn’t cover your belongings. Many housing associations offer low-cost schemes from about £1–£2 a week.	Address, value of belongings

Reading a meter

Digital meter: write down the numbers left to right, ignoring anything in red or after a decimal point.
Dial meter: read each dial left to right. If the pointer is between two numbers, take the lower one.
Smart meter: the in-home display shows usage and cost; readings are sent automatically.
Economy 7 electric meter: two readings, day and night. Night electricity is cheaper, which matters if you have storage heaters.

Photograph the reading each time. Give a reading every month if you don’t have a smart meter, so your bills are based on real use, not estimates.

Prepayment or credit?

	Prepayment (pay-as-you-go)	Credit (billed)
How it works	Top up in advance, by app, card or at a shop. Runs out if you don’t.	Use energy, pay monthly by direct debit or when billed
Good	Easy to control, no surprise bills, no debt building	Usually slightly cheaper, can spread costs evenly over the year
Watch out	Can run out on a Friday night. Keep emergency credit. If there’s an old debt on the meter it takes a slice of every top-up.	Estimated bills can be badly wrong. Direct debits set too low build debt; too high and you’re overpaying.
Tip	Top up on payday as a priority bill. Set an alert on the app.	Give monthly readings. Check the direct debit twice a year.

Landlords can’t refuse to let you change meter type, though you may need their permission and there may be conditions. Suppliers can only force a prepayment meter on you for debt in limited circumstances, and not if you’re vulnerable.

Understanding an energy bill

Every bill has: the period it covers, your readings (marked E for estimated or A for actual), the units used (kWh), the unit rate, the standing charge (a fixed daily amount just for being connected), VAT, and the total. If your bill says “E”, send a real reading and ask for it to be recalculated. The energy price cap limits unit rates and standing charges, not your total. What you use is what you pay.

Staying warm without huge bills

Heat the rooms you use to 18–21°C. Use the timer or thermostat rather than the on/off switch.
Learn your heating. Gas boiler: set a schedule. Storage heaters: charge overnight on cheap electricity, release in the day. Plug-in electric heaters are the most expensive way to heat anything: use sparingly.
Wash at 30°C, full loads. Dry on an airer with a window open (never on radiators with windows shut).
Close curtains at dusk. Draught-strip doors and windows. Put a rug on bare floors.
Turn things off at the wall. Kettles, tumble dryers and ovens are the hungry ones; a slow cooker or air fryer costs pennies.
Sign up for the Warm Home Discount if eligible, and your supplier’s Priority Services Register if you have a health condition or disability.

If you fall behind

Energy: contact the supplier before the debt grows. They must offer an affordable repayment plan and many have hardship funds. If you’re struggling to top up, ask about emergency credit and additional support credit. Citizens Advice can help negotiate.

Council tax: miss one instalment and the council sends a reminder; miss again and you can lose the right to pay in instalments and be summonsed for the whole year, plus costs. Contact the council as soon as you’re struggling. They can agree a plan, and check you’re getting CTR.

Water: can’t be disconnected, but contact the company anyway. Most have social tariffs and schemes like WaterSure that cap bills for people on low incomes.

Dan, 20

Dan moved in in October and didn’t contact the energy supplier. In February a bill arrived for £680, estimated from the previous tenant’s usage, addressed to “The Occupier”. Dan panicked and put it in a drawer. In April a debt collection letter arrived, and a council tax reminder – he’d never told the council he’d moved in and hadn’t claimed his single person discount.

What went wrong and what can Dan do?

Three things went wrong: no account in his name with a move-in reading, an unopened bill, and no council tax registration. Even now it’s fixable. Energy: call the supplier, give the move-in date and the day-one meter photo (if he took one), ask for the bill to be recalculated from actual use since October, and agree a repayment plan. Without a move-in reading the supplier will estimate, which is why day one matters. Council tax: register now, claim the 25% discount backdated to move-in, apply for CTR if eligible, and set up a plan. Citizens Advice can help with both. The drawer solved nothing.

Your move-in accounts plan

List the six accounts from the week-one table. Next to each, write who you’d contact, how (phone, online), and what you’d need to have ready. Then decide: prepayment or credit for your energy, and why.

Small steps

Photograph your gas and electricity meters today Check every household account is in your name and from your move-in date Claim the single person discount and apply for Council Tax Reduction if eligible Check whether your last energy bill was estimated (E) or actual (A) Get a contents insurance quote (ask your housing association about their scheme)

Jargon buster

kWh (kilowatt-hour): The unit energy is measured and charged in.
Standing charge: A fixed daily charge for being connected, paid even if you use nothing.
Estimated reading: A supplier’s guess at your usage when they haven’t had a real reading. Marked “E” on bills.
Economy 7: An electricity tariff with cheaper night rates, usually with storage heaters.
Priority Services Register: A free supplier service giving extra support to people who are vulnerable.
WaterSure: A scheme capping metered water bills for some people on benefits.

Home truths to remember

Week one: meter readings, photos, every account in your name from your move-in date.
Claim every discount: single person, Council Tax Reduction, Warm Home Discount, social tariffs.
A bill in a drawer doesn’t go away. It grows. Open it, call them, agree a plan.

Session 8 of 12 · about 10 minutes

Keeping House

Cleaning, cooking, laundry, damp, repairs and the small fixes you can do yourself. Not about being tidy for its own sake, but about protecting your health, your deposit and your tenancy.

By the end of this session you will be able to

Follow a realistic cleaning routine with a minimal kit
Cook a week of cheap meals and run a washing machine without shrinking everything
Prevent and treat condensation, damp and mould
Report repairs so they get fixed, and handle the small jobs yourself

The kit

You need far less than the supermarket aisle suggests. About £20–£30 covers: washing-up liquid, an all-purpose spray, a bathroom/limescale spray, bleach or a mould spray, a few cloths, a sponge with a scourer, bin bags, a mop or a broom and dustpan, and a toilet brush. Add a hoover if there’s carpet (second-hand is fine).

The routine

Every day (5 mins)	Every week (20–30 mins)	Every month
Wash up Wipe kitchen surfaces and hob Rubbish out when the bin’s full Open a window for 10 minutes Wipe condensation off windows	Hoover or sweep floors Clean toilet, sink and shower Change bedding Wipe fridge shelves and check dates Mop the kitchen and bathroom floor Bins out on collection day	Oven and hob properly Window frames and sills Under the sink for leaks Test smoke and CO alarms Clean the washing machine drawer and seal Defrost the freezer if it’s icing up

Little and often is the whole secret. A flat that gets five minutes a day never needs a horrible six-hour clean.

Cooking: the first-home basics

Eating well on your own is cheaper and easier than you think, but only if you have a few things you can cook without a recipe. Start with five, and add one a month:

Pasta with tomato sauce – onion, garlic, tinned tomatoes, herbs. Add tuna, veg or cheese.
Jacket potato – oven or microwave, with beans, cheese, tuna or coleslaw
Stir fry – whatever veg, a protein, soy sauce, noodles or rice
Eggs – scrambled, omelette, fried rice with egg
Chilli or curry from a tin base – mince or beans, sauce, rice. Makes four portions; freeze three.

Cupboard basics to keep in stock: oil, salt, pepper, rice, pasta, tinned tomatoes, tinned beans, stock cubes, onions, garlic, a couple of spices. Batch cook and freeze in portions: it’s a hot meal on the nights you can’t be bothered, for pennies. Food safety: cool leftovers within two hours, fridge for up to three days, reheat until steaming hot, don’t refreeze thawed meat.

Laundry without disasters

Check the label. 30°C for most things. Wool and delicates on a cool, gentle cycle. Bedding and towels at 40–60°C.
Separate darks and lights for the first few washes of new clothes.
Don’t overfill the drum: clothes should move freely.
Empty pockets. A tissue will ruin a whole load.
Dry on an airer near an open window or in a bathroom with the extractor on. Get clothes out of the machine promptly or they’ll smell.
Leave the machine door and drawer open between washes so it doesn’t go mouldy.

Condensation, damp and mould

The most common problem in rented homes and the most common cause of deposit disputes. Most of it is condensation: warm, wet air (from showers, cooking, drying clothes, breathing) hitting cold walls and windows. Left alone, it grows black mould, which can cause or worsen breathing problems.

Prevent it: extractor fans on when cooking and showering (and for 15 minutes after), lids on pans, kitchen and bathroom doors closed while steamy, clothes dried with a window open, windows opened 10–15 minutes a day even in winter, some background heat rather than blasts, a gap between furniture and outside walls, and windows wiped in the morning.

Treat it: clean mould with a mould spray or diluted bleach (ventilate, wear gloves), let it dry, then fix the cause. Don’t paint over it.

Know when it’s not you: mould that returns despite ventilation, wet patches that don’t dry, a musty smell that won’t shift, damp low on walls, or leaks, are signs of rising or penetrating damp or a building fault. That’s the landlord’s responsibility. Report it in writing, with photos.

Awaab’s Law: social landlords in England must now investigate and fix damp, mould and other serious hazards within legal time limits. Private landlords must keep homes free from serious hazards too. Don’t let anyone dismiss mould as “lifestyle” without inspecting.

Reporting repairs so they get done

Report it the day you notice, in writing: email, the landlord’s app or portal, or text. Phone calls get forgotten.
Say what, where and since when. Attach photos or a short video.
Say if it’s urgent. Emergencies (no heating in winter, no hot water, a serious leak, no electricity, broken external door lock, gas smell) should be attended within 24 hours. Routine repairs might take a few weeks.
Keep a copy and note the date. Note the reference number if you’re given one.
Be in for the appointment, or rearrange in good time. Missed appointments delay everything and may be charged.
Chase politely if nothing happens. Then escalate: the landlord’s complaints process, then the council’s environmental health team, and Shelter for advice.

Gas smell: don’t switch anything on or off, open windows, leave the property, and call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999.

What’s yours to sort (and how)

Job	How
Change a light bulb	Switch off, let it cool, check the fitting type (bayonet or screw) and wattage, replace
Bleed a radiator (cold at the top, warm at the bottom)	Heating off, radiator key in the valve at the top corner, turn slowly until it hisses, close when water appears. Check boiler pressure after.
Boiler pressure low (below 1 bar)	Find the filling loop under the boiler, open slowly until the gauge reads 1–1.5, close. Ask the landlord to show you once.
Blocked sink	Boiling water, then a plunger, then a drain unblocker. Prevent it: no fat down the sink, a hair trap in the shower.
Tripped electrics	Unplug the last thing you used, go to the fuse box, flip the tripped switch back up. If it keeps tripping, report it.
Smoke alarm chirping	Low battery. Replace it (or report if it’s a sealed or mains unit).
Frozen condensate pipe (boiler stops in a cold snap)	Pour warm (not boiling) water over the white pipe outside, then reset the boiler

Sam, 18

Sam’s bedroom has black spots growing in the corner by the window. Sam dries clothes on the radiator, keeps the window shut because it’s cold, and the extractor fan in the bathroom has been broken since move-in. Sam hasn’t reported the fan because “it’s just a fan”, and is worried about being blamed for the mould.

What should Sam do?

Three things today. Clean the mould with a spray, ventilating while doing it. Change the habits: airer not radiator, window cracked for 15 minutes daily, wipe the glass in the mornings, a bit of background heat. And report the fan in writing, with a photo of the mould and the date it was first noticed. A broken extractor is the landlord’s to fix and makes everything worse. If mould returns despite all of that, Sam should say so in writing again: it may be a building problem, not a habit problem, and the law is on Sam’s side.

Report a repair

Write the message Sam should send about the extractor fan and the mould: what, where, since when, whether it’s urgent, what Sam is already doing, and a request for a date it will be looked at. Then list the five meals you’d cook in your first week.

Small steps

Buy or gather the basic cleaning kit Find your bin collection days on the council website and set a reminder Check every extractor fan works Batch cook one meal and freeze the extra portions Report any outstanding repair in writing today

Jargon buster

Condensation: Moisture from warm air forming on cold surfaces. The main cause of mould in homes.
Rising / penetrating damp: Water coming through walls or floors from outside or below. A building fault, not a habit.
Awaab’s Law: Legal time limits for social landlords to fix damp, mould and serious hazards.
Emergency repair: A fault that makes the home unsafe or unliveable, which the landlord should attend within 24 hours.
Filling loop: The valve under a boiler used to top up its water pressure.

Home truths to remember

Five minutes a day beats six hours a month. Five meals you can cook beats a hundred recipes.
Ventilate, heat gently, dry clothes on an airer. That prevents most mould. Anything that returns, report.
Report repairs in writing the day you spot them. Learn the six small fixes. Know the gas number.

Session 9 of 12 · about 10 minutes

Good Neighbour

You don’t have to be friends with the people next door. But how you handle noise, visitors, shared spaces and complaints can make or break a tenancy, especially a starter tenancy.

By the end of this session you will be able to

Explain how neighbour complaints can lead to losing a tenancy
Manage noise, visitors, overnight guests and shared spaces
Say no to friends without falling out
Handle a complaint against you, and a problem with a neighbour, without escalation

Why it matters more than you’d think

Almost every tenancy agreement bans “nuisance or annoyance” to neighbours. Landlords take complaints seriously because they have legal duties to deal with antisocial behaviour, and because a home with constant complaints is a problem for them. Persistent noise, visitor trouble or antisocial behaviour is one of the most common reasons young people’s tenancies end. Usually not because they’re bad people, but because the first complaint wasn’t taken seriously.

If you’re on a starter tenancy, this matters doubly: antisocial behaviour in the first year is one of the main reasons a starter tenancy isn’t converted.

Noise

Sound carries further than you think, especially bass, footsteps, slamming doors and voices in stairwells. What sounds normal to you is a thump through the ceiling to them.
Most councils treat 11pm to 7am as night hours. Music, TV and voices low. Headphones after 11.
Having people round? Tell the neighbours beforehand and give them a way to let you know if it’s too loud. It defuses almost everything.
Rugs on hard floors, closing doors gently, and not slamming the front door cost nothing.
Dogs barking, arguments, DIY at 10pm and car engines outside all count.

Visitors and guests

You’re responsible for how your visitors behave in and around your home. If your friends are loud in the stairwell, drop rubbish, smoke where they shouldn’t or cause trouble, the complaint comes to you and it’s your tenancy at risk. It’s completely fine to say “not tonight” or “you need to go”. Being able to say that is part of keeping your home.

Overnight guests and people “staying for a bit”: the odd night is normal. Someone staying most nights, keeping belongings there, or getting post is a different thing. It can breach your agreement (subletting or unauthorised occupier), it can affect your benefits (UC may treat you as a couple), and it can put your home at risk if they’re involved in anything illegal. If a partner or friend is basically living there, talk to your housing officer or support worker. There’s often a proper way to do it.

Cuckooing: some young tenants are targeted by people who want to use their home for drugs or other crime, often starting as “just crashing for a bit”. If someone won’t leave, is bringing strangers round, or you feel you’ve lost control of your own flat, tell your housing officer, support worker or the police. You won’t be blamed for asking for help.

Saying no

Practise these. Short, calm, no long explanation:

“Not tonight, I’ve got an early start.”
“I need to keep it down after 11, the neighbour’s got a baby.”
“You can’t smoke in here. Outside, and away from the door.”
“I can’t have people staying this week.”
“You need to head off now.”

Real friends accept it. People who don’t accept it are telling you something.

Shared spaces

Hallways, stairwells, bin stores, gardens, drying areas. Keep them clear: it’s a fire safety issue as well as a courtesy, and things left in communal areas can be removed. Rubbish in the right bins on the right day. Bikes and prams where they’re allowed. Don’t prop open security doors.

If a neighbour complains about you

Don’t get defensive. Listen, even if you think they’re overreacting.
Apologise for anything worth apologising for, and say what you’ll change.
Change it.
If the complaint reaches your landlord: reply promptly, attend any meeting, be honest, and bring your support worker if you have one. Ignoring letters is the worst option.
If you think the complaint is unfair or malicious, say so calmly, with any evidence you have, but still show willingness to sort it out.

If you have a problem with a neighbour

Talk to them first, calmly, at a good moment. Most people don’t realise they’re causing a problem.
If that doesn’t work, keep a simple diary: date, time, what happened, how long. Many landlords will give you diary sheets.
Report it to your landlord or housing officer in writing.
For persistent noise, the council’s environmental health team can investigate and, if needed, take action.
For threats, harassment, discrimination or violence: report to the police. Get a crime reference number and give it to your landlord.
Never retaliate. Banging back, confronting, or posting about it online makes you part of the problem.

Kai, 20

Kai has had mates round three Fridays running. Nothing wild, but music until 1am and people smoking on the landing. The neighbour downstairs has a baby. She left a note; Kai binned it. Now a letter has arrived from the housing association: a formal warning about antisocial behaviour, with a meeting date. Kai’s on a starter tenancy with four months to go.

What should Kai do?

Go to the meeting, and take it seriously. Be honest about the Fridays, apologise, and set out what will change: music off by 11, no smoking on the landing, fewer people, and telling the neighbour beforehand next time. Then knock on the neighbour’s door, apologise in person and give her a number to message if it happens again. A formal warning is a fork in the road: handled well it’s noted and forgotten; ignored, the next letter is a notice, and with a starter tenancy that can mean losing the home.

Three conversations

Write what you’d actually say (1) to a friend who’s being loud at your place at midnight, (2) to a neighbour who’s just complained to you, and (3) to your housing officer at a meeting about a complaint. Keep each short, calm and specific about what changes.

Small steps

Introduce yourself to at least one neighbour Find the “nuisance” and “visitors” clauses in your agreement and read them Check nothing of yours is in a communal area Decide your own house rules (last music time, smoking, who stays) and tell your friends

Jargon buster

Antisocial behaviour (ASB): Conduct that causes harassment, alarm or distress, or nuisance to others. A ground for possession.
Unauthorised occupier: Someone living in your home without the landlord’s permission.
Cuckooing: When someone takes over a vulnerable person’s home to use it for crime.
Diary sheets: A record of incidents (date, time, what happened) used as evidence in neighbour disputes.

Home truths to remember

Your visitors' behaviour is your responsibility. You’re allowed to say no.
A warning letter is a chance, not an attack. Respond, apologise, change.
Talk first, record second, report third. Never retaliate.

Session 10 of 12 · about 10 minutes

Home Alone

Living on your own can be brilliant and hard, sometimes on the same day. Routines, food, sleep, loneliness, safety and knowing when and who to ask. Looking after yourself is part of looking after your tenancy.

By the end of this session you will be able to

Build daily and weekly routines that make independent living easier
Recognise the early signs that you’re struggling
Keep yourself safe at home and online
Know who to contact, and have the words ready

Why wellbeing is a tenancy skill

When people are struggling, the first things to slip are post, bills, cleaning and food. Those are exactly the things that keep a tenancy safe. Housing officers see it constantly: the tenancy problem is the visible part; underneath is someone who’s been finding things hard for months and told nobody. So this isn’t a side topic. Feeling okay enough to do the boring stuff is the foundation everything else sits on.

The first few weeks

Almost everyone finds the first month strange. The quiet is louder than you expect. Evenings and weekends are the hardest. You’ll probably cook badly, sleep oddly and spend too much. This is normal, and it passes faster if you build a few structures early:

A get-up time. Roughly the same most days, even with nowhere to be. It anchors everything else.
A food plan. Five meals you can cook (Session 8), a weekly shop on the same day, a full freezer. Eat at a table, not in bed.
A weekly admin slot. Half an hour, same time each week: open post, check the bank, check the rent went out, top up the meter, look at the week ahead. Put it in your phone calendar.
A reason to leave the house. Work, college, a class, the gym, a walk, volunteering, a youth hub. Something most days.
Sleep. Screens off before bed, a similar bedtime, curtains that block the light. Nothing is easier when you’re exhausted.
Make it yours. A lamp, a plant, some photos, your music. Cheap things that make the flat feel like home change how you feel walking in.

Loneliness

It’s normal, it doesn’t mean you’ve made a mistake, and it’s one of the main reasons young people give up a tenancy or drift back to situations that weren’t good for them. Things that help:

Keep in touch with people from before: message someone every day, even briefly
Say yes to invitations, especially when you don’t feel like it
Join something regular: a team, a class, a gym, a faith group, a volunteering slot, a youth club. Regular is the key word – it’s the seeing people weekly that works
Say hello to neighbours, the shop staff, the bus driver. Small contacts add up
Be careful of filling the gap with people who only turn up because you’ve got a flat (Session 9)

Alcohol, drugs and money

Your own place removes a lot of limits. Nobody’s asking where you’ve been or how much you’ve had. That freedom is good, and it’s also where some tenancies come apart: drinking or using to fill evenings, money going on it instead of the meter, people coming round for it. If you notice it creeping up, that’s the time to talk to someone, not later. Free, confidential support: FRANK (0300 123 6600) for drugs, Drinkline (0300 123 1110) for alcohol, and your GP. Nobody will judge you or tell your landlord.

Feeling safe at home

Lock doors and windows, even when you’re in. Don’t buzz strangers into the building.
Ask for ID from anyone claiming to be from the landlord, the council or a utility company. Real ones expect it. If in doubt, don’t let them in and phone the organisation.
Don’t share your address or when you’re out on public social media.
If someone you know makes you feel unsafe in your own home (a partner, an ex, a family member, a “friend”), that’s a housing issue as well as a personal one. Tell your housing officer or support worker: there are options, including extra security and, if needed, moving. For domestic abuse, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0808 2000 247, 24 hours.
Keep a small emergency kit: torch, phone charger, a few tins, the gas emergency number, your housing officer’s number.

Signs you’re struggling

These are signals, not failures. Two or three of them together for more than a couple of weeks is the moment to tell someone:

Post piling up unopened
Not eating properly, or living on takeaways and snacks
Sleeping much more or much less than usual
Not answering calls or messages, including from people trying to help
Not leaving the flat for days
The flat getting on top of you: dishes, rubbish, laundry
Drinking or using more to get through
Feeling numb, hopeless, or that nothing matters

Who to tell, and what to say

You don’t need the right words. Any of these works:

“I’m not doing great. Can we talk?”
“I’ve been struggling and I’ve let some things slide. I need a hand sorting it.”
“Can you help me open my post? I’ve been avoiding it.”

Say it to: a support worker, personal adviser, housing officer or tutor (they’ve heard it before and can help with the practical stuff); your GP (register now if you haven’t); a friend or family member you trust; or one of these, any time:

If you need to talk
Samaritans: 116 123 (free, 24 hours) | Shout: text SHOUT to 85258 (free, 24 hours) | The Mix (under 25s): 0808 808 4994 | Centrepoint helpline (16–25s): 0808 800 0661 | Papyrus HOPELINE247 (under 35s): 0800 068 4141
If you’re in immediate danger, call 999.

Leah, 19

Leah moved into her flat four months ago. Lately she’s been sleeping until the afternoon, eating crisps for dinner, and hasn’t opened her post in three weeks. Her support worker has messaged twice. Leah hasn’t replied because she doesn’t want to be “a problem”, and she’s worried that if she admits she’s struggling they’ll think she can’t cope with the flat.

What would help Leah?

Replying to the support worker with one line: “Not doing great, can we talk?” That’s it. Support workers exist for exactly this, and telling them early is proof Leah can cope, not the opposite. Then: open the post with someone there, register with a GP, and pick one routine to start with, probably a get-up time and a daily walk. Leah isn’t a problem. She’s a person having a hard patch, and hard patches pass faster when someone knows.

Your support map and routine

Write down: three people or services you could contact if you were struggling (with how to reach them), your get-up time and your weekly admin slot (day and time), one regular thing you’ll do each week that gets you out of the house, and one thing you’ll buy or do to make your place feel like yours.

Small steps

Register with a GP near your home (you don’t need proof of address or a job) Put a weekly admin slot in your phone calendar Save Samaritans (116 123) and Shout (85258) in your phone Find one regular activity near you and go once Message someone you’ve lost touch with

Jargon buster

Support worker / personal adviser: Someone whose job is to help you with practical and personal things during your tenancy. Care leavers get a personal adviser up to 25.
Floating support: Support that comes to you in your own home rather than being tied to supported housing. Ask your council or housing officer if it’s available.
Safeguarding: Steps taken to protect someone at risk of harm. If you’re at risk, housing staff have a duty to act.

Home truths to remember

Looking after yourself is how you look after your tenancy.
Unopened post and skipped meals are signals. Act on them early.
You’re not a problem for asking for help. You’re a person getting help.

Session 11 of 12 · about 10 minutes

When Things Go Wrong

Arrears, warnings, notices, court, bailiffs. How the process actually works in England, how much time and help you have at every stage, and what to do with each letter. The difference between losing a home and keeping one is usually what you do in the first week.

By the end of this session you will be able to

Describe the stages a landlord must go through to end a tenancy in England
Recognise each letter and know what to do when it arrives
Know what a court hearing involves and how to prepare
Find the right help at each stage, including the council’s duty to prevent homelessness

The most important thing in this session

Nobody can remove you from your home without a court order and bailiffs. Not a landlord, not an agent, not a letter, not a text, not a “you’ve got until Friday”. In England the process has several stages, each takes time, and each is a chance to fix things. The earlier you act, the more options you have.

The stages, and what to do at each

Stage	What it looks like	What to do
1. Arrears or complaints	Reminder letters, texts, calls from the landlord	Respond. Pay what you can. Agree a plan. Get advice. Most things stop here.
2. Formal warning	A letter saying you’ve breached your tenancy and what happens if it continues; often a meeting invitation	Reply in writing. Attend the meeting, with your support worker if you have one. Fix the issue. Ask what support is available.
3. Notice	A formal written notice naming the legal ground (e.g. rent arrears, antisocial behaviour) and a date after which the landlord can apply to court. Notice periods vary from two weeks to several months depending on the ground.	Get advice the same week. Check the notice is valid (many aren’t). Reduce arrears if you can. Contact the council’s housing options team – you’re now “threatened with homelessness” and they have a duty to help.
4. Court claim	Papers from the county court: a claim form, a hearing date (usually several weeks away) and a defence form	Complete and return the defence form by the deadline. Get legal help (often free). Keep paying rent. Attend the hearing.
5. Hearing and order	A judge decides. For arrears, the judge can refuse the claim, adjourn it, make a suspended order (you stay if you keep to a payment plan), or make an outright order with a date to leave (usually 14–28 days).	Stick to a suspended order exactly. Any missed payment can bring bailiffs quickly.
6. Warrant and bailiffs	If you don’t leave by the date, the landlord applies for a warrant; bailiffs give notice of an eviction date	Contact the council now for emergency housing. An adviser can sometimes apply to suspend the warrant. Don’t wait for the bailiff date.

Since the Renters' Rights Act came into force in 2026, “no-fault” (Section 21) evictions no longer exist in England. A landlord must have a legal ground and prove it. For rent arrears, the mandatory ground normally requires at least three months' arrears both when notice is served and at the hearing, so reducing arrears below that can change the outcome. Rules are detailed and can change: get advice on any notice you receive rather than assuming it’s valid.

What a notice is not

A notice is not an eviction and it doesn’t mean you have to leave on the date it gives. It’s the landlord saying they may go to court after that date. Many notices never reach court because the tenant gets advice, reduces arrears or changes what’s causing the problem. Many others are invalid: wrong form, wrong dates, deposit not protected, required documents never given. An adviser can spot this in minutes. If you leave because of a notice without getting advice, you may also be treated as “intentionally homeless” by the council, which limits the help you can get. So: don’t move out, get advice.

The court hearing

Possession hearings are short, usually five to fifteen minutes, in a small room, not a courtroom from TV. What helps:

Turn up. Tenants who attend do far better than those who don’t.
Get there early and ask for the duty adviser: a free housing solicitor or adviser available at most possession hearings, who can represent you on the day.
Bring: the notice, the court papers, your tenancy agreement, rent statements, proof of payments, proof of income and benefits, any UC or DHP correspondence, and a written proposal for repaying arrears.
Be honest and calm. Judges want to know what happened, what’s changed, and what you can realistically pay.
If you can’t attend, tell the court in writing beforehand and ask for an adjournment. Don’t just not go.

Where help comes from

Shelter – free housing advice, 0808 800 4444, and an emergency helpline
Citizens Advice – housing, debt and benefits, 0800 144 8848
Your council’s housing options team – legal duty to help prevent homelessness from the moment you’re threatened with it (usually when you get a valid notice), not only once you’ve lost your home. They can negotiate with landlords, help with arrears through DHPs, and help you find somewhere else if needed.
Court duty adviser – free representation at the hearing. Ask at court.
Legal aid – free legal help if you’re at risk of losing your home and on a low income. Search “find a legal aid adviser” on gov.uk.
Your housing officer, support worker or personal adviser – they can attend meetings, speak to the landlord, and help with forms.
Debt advice – StepChange 0800 138 1111, National Debtline 0808 808 4000, for arrears alongside other debts

How to open a scary letter

Open it today. It doesn’t get better in the drawer, and every letter in this process has a deadline.
Read it twice. Find the date by which you need to do something, and circle it.
Photograph it and send it to your support worker or an adviser.
Write down the one thing you’ll do about it tomorrow, and who you’ll call.
Keep it, with everything else, in your tenancy folder.

Ryan, 21

Ryan is £900 behind on rent after losing his job. He’s had reminder letters and a formal warning, and now a notice seeking possession has arrived, giving a date four weeks away. He’s just started a new job that pays in three weeks. His plan is to “sort it out once I’ve been paid”, and he’s wondering whether he should just move back to his mum’s before it goes to court.

Is that enough?

No, and moving out would be a serious mistake. Today: call Shelter, message the landlord with the new job start date and a proposed repayment plan, tell UC about the job (he may still get some UC plus a DHP for the gap), and contact the council’s housing options team to say he’s been served notice. The notice period runs whether Ryan waits or not. Landlords rarely go to court against a tenant who’s engaging, paying something and has a plan; they often do against one who’s gone quiet. And leaving now could make him “intentionally homeless”, cutting off council help later.

Your action plan

Imagine a notice has just arrived. Write the five things you’d do in the first 48 hours, in order, with who you’d contact for each and their number. Then list what you’d take to a court hearing.

Small steps

Save Shelter (0808 800 4444) and Citizens Advice (0800 144 8848) in your phone Find your council’s housing options team contact details Check your tenancy folder has your agreement, rent statements and any letters If you have any unopened post, open it now

Jargon buster

Ground for possession: A legal reason a landlord can use to ask a court to end your tenancy.
Notice seeking possession: The formal notice a landlord serves before applying to court.
Possession order: A court order ending your right to stay. “Suspended” means you can stay if you keep to conditions; “outright” gives a date to leave.
Warrant: Court permission for bailiffs to carry out an eviction.
Duty adviser: A free legal adviser at court on the day of possession hearings.
Intentionally homeless: A council decision that you caused your own homelessness (e.g. by leaving when you didn’t have to), which limits the help you get.
Threatened with homelessness: Likely to become homeless within 56 days. Triggers the council’s prevention duty.

Home truths to remember

Only a court and bailiffs can remove you. Every stage before that is a chance.
Open every letter today. Get advice this week. Turn up to everything.
Don’t move out because of a notice. Landlords go to court against tenants who go quiet, not tenants with a plan.

Session 12 of 12 · about 10 minutes

Home for Good

You’ve covered the essentials. This last session is about keeping it going: the first-year milestones, monthly and yearly reviews, planning for the unexpected, moving on well, and building a record that makes your next home easier to get.

By the end of this session you will be able to

Describe what a successful first year in a tenancy looks like, month by month
Run a monthly and a yearly tenancy review
Plan for rent increases, emergencies and moving on
Build a rental history and references that open doors

The first year, month by month

When	What a good first year looks like
Week 1	Inventory and photos done, accounts set up, rent payment set up, GP registered, bins sorted
Month 1	First rent paid on time. Settling-in visit from the housing officer: raise any repairs. First weekly admin slot happening.
Month 2	Deposit protection checked. First energy bill opened and understood. Budget adjusted with real figures.
Month 3	Three rents on time. A routine that mostly works. You’ve said no to something. Emergency fund started, even £5 a week.
Month 6	Rent account checked and clear. Contents insurance in place. You know a neighbour by name. First inspection passed.
Month 9	Winter handled: heating understood, bills manageable, no mould. Any warm-home discounts claimed.
Month 12	A year of rent on time. Starter tenancy converted (if you had one). Rent increase letter read and budget updated. A full tenancy folder.

Don’t worry if it isn’t this neat. The point is that each of these is a specific, achievable thing, and each one you tick off makes the tenancy more secure.

The monthly review (10 minutes)

The day after rent goes out:

Did the rent go out? Check the statement or your rent account.
Any letters or emails from the landlord, council, UC or suppliers that need action?
Are all priority bills up to date? Meter topped up?
Any repairs to report?
How’s the weekly number looking? Anything to cut or adjust?
Emergency fund: has this month’s bit gone in?

The yearly review (an hour)

Rent increase. Housing associations usually increase rent each April and write to you in advance. Private landlords can normally raise rent once a year with at least two months' notice on the proper form; an increase well above local market rent can be challenged at a tribunal (get advice first). Either way, update your budget before it starts, and report the new rent to UC.
Council tax. New bill in March. Still getting every discount? Still paying over 12 months?
Energy and broadband. Check you’re on a fair tariff. Contracts ending? Compare. Direct debit still right?
Benefits. Rates and rules change every April. Re-run a benefits calculator.
Safety checks. Gas safety certificate renewed? Alarms tested?
Documents. Folder up to date, photos backed up.
Insurance. Still covers what you own?

Planning for the unexpected

Things go wrong: hours cut, a broken phone, a friend who needs a sofa for a week, a boiler that dies in January, a benefit payment delayed. An emergency fund of even £100 makes most of these survivable, and £300 makes most of them minor. Build it a few pounds at a time from the weekly number. Keep it somewhere slightly awkward to reach (a savings pot, a credit union account) so it doesn’t quietly become the takeaway fund.

Contents insurance covers your belongings against fire, flood, theft and some accidental damage. The landlord’s insurance doesn’t. Many housing associations offer a tenants' scheme from about £1–£2 a week with no excess. Ask.

If you’re away for more than a couple of weeks (hospital, family, work), tell your landlord. Some agreements require it, and in winter it stops pipes freezing and the flat being treated as abandoned.

Moving on well

One day you’ll move: a bigger place, a different area, a move in with someone. Do it in a way that helps the next tenancy:

Give the notice your agreement requires, in writing, and keep a copy. In most private tenancies that’s now two months; housing associations usually ask for four weeks.
Keep paying rent right to the end of the notice period. Leaving early doesn’t stop it being owed.
Clean thoroughly, including oven, fridge, bathroom and windows. Fix anything you broke. Remove everything you brought.
Take move-out photos of every room and the meters, matching your move-in photos.
Return all keys and get a receipt.
Give a forwarding address so the deposit can be returned. Deposits must be returned within 10 days of agreeing the amount.
Close or transfer every account: energy (final readings), water, council tax, broadband, TV licence. Tell UC, your bank, your employer, the DVLA and the GP.
Ask for a written reference.

If you’re moving in with a partner, think about whether you’ll be a joint tenant (both legally responsible for all the rent) and what happens if things change. Get advice before signing.

Your rental history is an asset

Every month of rent paid on time, every tenancy that ends properly, every good reference: these are what the next landlord looks for. Some schemes let rent payments count towards your credit history (ask your bank or look up rent reporting services). Keep your rent statements and references together. Two years of “paid on time, left the place well” is worth more than almost anything else when you apply for your next home, and it’s entirely within your control.

Nadia, 23

Nadia has been in her flat three years. Rent has gone up twice; she updated her budget each time. She’s kept every document, has an emergency fund of about £400, and once had a difficult month where she messaged the housing officer before the due date and cleared the shortfall in two weeks. She’s now applying for a two-bed with her partner. Her housing officer has written a reference that says she’s “the tenant every landlord hopes for”.

What did Nadia do differently?

Nothing dramatic. She did the boring things consistently: reviewed her budget when rent changed, kept her paperwork, communicated early when things were tight, saved a little every month, and left no loose ends. That’s what a “good tenant” is. It isn’t luck, and it isn’t a personality type. It’s habits, and you’ve now been through every one of them.

Your commitments

Look back over the programme. Write down the three habits you’re going to start (or keep) from this week, and when in the week you’ll do each one. Then write the first three things you’ll do to build an emergency fund.

Small steps

Put a monthly review reminder in your phone for the day after rent day Open a savings pot and set up a small regular transfer Get contents insurance Check when your rent is next due to increase and note it Tell someone what you’ve learned from this programme

Jargon buster

Joint tenancy: A tenancy where two or more people are each legally responsible for all the rent, not just their share.
Notice to quit / notice to leave: Your written notice to the landlord that you’re ending the tenancy.
Check-out inspection: The landlord’s inspection when you leave, compared against the inventory.
Rent reporting: Services that add your rent payments to your credit file.
Excess: The amount you pay towards an insurance claim. Housing association schemes often have none.

Home truths to remember

Ten minutes a month. An hour a year. That’s the maintenance.
An emergency fund, even a small one, turns disasters into inconveniences.
Being a “good tenant” is a set of habits. You now know every one of them.

Complete all 12 sessions to unlock your certificate.

About this programme

How Home Truths works

Twelve sessions of around ten minutes each. Read, think, write, tick things off, check your understanding, and move on.

Each session has

What you’ll be able to do – the point of the session
The content – short, practical, and specific to renting in England
Real life – a scenario based on the kinds of situations young renters actually face
Your turn – a written activity. Your answers are saved on this device only; nobody else sees them unless you choose to share
Do this week – a short checklist of real actions, saved as you tick them
Jargon buster – the words you’ll hear, explained
Quick check – five questions with instant feedback
Home truths – the three things to remember

About Renaissance Housing Association

Home Truths is provided by Renaissance Housing Association Ltd as part of our commitment to helping young people not just find a home, but keep it. If you are a Renaissance tenant and need support with anything in this programme, contact your housing officer.

Important

This programme is general information for people renting in England. It isn’t legal advice, and housing law changes. For your own situation, especially if you’ve received a notice or court papers, get free advice from Shelter (0808 800 4444) or Citizens Advice (0800 144 8848). Rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are different.

Your progress and written answers are stored in your browser on this device. Clearing your browser data, or using a different device, will start you again.

Ready or Not?

By the end of this session you will be able to

What a first home actually looks like

What you’re signing up for

What “tenancy sustainment” means

What it costs to set up

The five skills that keep a tenancy

Jay, 18

Skills check

Small steps

Jargon buster

Five questions

Home truths to remember

Finding a Place

By the end of this session you will be able to

Your options and how to get them

What “affordable” actually means

What you’ll need to apply

The viewing

Questions to ask

Scams and bad landlords

Priya, 20

Your search plan

Small steps

Jargon buster

Five questions

Home truths to remember

Signing on the Line

By the end of this session you will be able to

What a tenancy agreement is

Read these sections before you sign

Your deposit

Documents your landlord must give you

The inventory

Your first 48 hours with the keys

Marcus, 19

Decode the jargon and plan your first day

Small steps

Jargon buster

Five questions

Home truths to remember

Rights and Responsibilities

By the end of this session you will be able to

Your landlord must

You must

Three situations you’ll definitely face

Harassment and illegal eviction

If your landlord breaks the rules (non-emergency)

Aisha, 21

Write the message

Small steps

Jargon buster

Five questions

Home truths to remember

Money In, Money Out

By the end of this session you will be able to

Step 1: what comes in

Step 2: what must go out (priority bills)

Step 3: living costs

Step 4: the sum

Four techniques that make money last

Check what you’re entitled to

Credit, borrowing and buy-now-pay-later

Tyler, 22

Your first budget

Small steps

Jargon buster

Five questions

Home truths to remember

Rent First

By the end of this session you will be able to

Make rent automatic

Reading your rent account

Universal Credit and rent

If you can’t pay in full: the five-step plan

What arrears letters look like, and what they mean

Chloe, 19

Write the “I’m going to be short” message

Small steps