Renting for the first time in Guildford, expect to need proof of income, a referencing check, a holding deposit of no more than one week’s rent, a security deposit, and a maximum of one month’s rent in advance. That last figure is now a legal cap — since 1 May 2026 no landlord or agent can require more than one month up front, and none can take any rent at all before you have signed the agreement.
Guildford’s average private rent was £1,728 a month in May 2026 across all property types (ONS), so a flat share or a one-bed will typically sit below that. It is an expensive market, and knowing the rules is worth real money.
What you can and cannot be charged
A holding deposit — capped at one week’s rent, and it counts towards your first month’s rent if the tenancy goes ahead.
A security deposit — capped, and it must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, with the prescribed information given to you. If it is not protected, that is a serious failure on the landlord’s part.
One month’s rent in advance, maximum. If someone asks for six months up front, that is not permitted for a tenancy starting now.
Nothing else. No admin fees, no referencing fees, no “contract fees”, no charge for an inventory or a check-in. Those were banned by the Tenant Fees Act and remain banned.
What you cannot be refused for
Receiving benefits, or having children. Both are unlawful grounds for refusal, and that includes indirect versions — an affordability rule set so high that benefit income is effectively excluded, or a “no children” instruction given to an agent. The penalty on the landlord reaches £7,000.
You also cannot be outbid. Rental bidding is banned. The landlord must advertise a rent and cannot invite or accept offers above it. If an agent tells you the flat will go to whoever offers most, that is not lawful.
Passing referencing
Expect to provide proof of income, employment confirmation, ID, and often a previous landlord reference. The common affordability guide is annual income of around 30 times the monthly rent, though this varies.
If you are a student, new to the UK, self-employed without much history, or on a variable income, you may be asked for a guarantor. That request is legitimate — but the rules around guarantees changed, and a guarantor is agreeing to an open-ended liability on a tenancy with no fixed end date. Worth them reading what they are actually signing before they do.
There is no fixed term any more
Every private tenancy is now periodic and rolls month to month. If an agreement says “12 months”, it is unenforceable — attempting to grant a fixed term is a breach by the landlord.
What that means for you: you can leave at any point on two months’ notice, without a reason. You are not locked in. How to give notice properly — get the timing right against your rent due date or it can cost you an extra month.
Before you sign
Check you have been given a written statement of terms. The landlord must provide this before the agreement is entered into. It sets out the rent, the deposit, repairing obligations, and how the tenancy can end.
Ask for the gas safety record and the EPC. Both should be provided. The EPC also tells you what the flat will cost to heat, which at current energy prices is not a small consideration.
Check the smoke alarms exist and work, and that there is a carbon monoxide alarm if there is a fixed combustion appliance.
Photograph everything on the day you move in. Every room, marks on walls, the state of the carpets, inside the oven, and the meter readings. Most deposit disputes are decided on check-in evidence, and the tenant with photographs generally wins. How adjudication actually works.
Where to look in Guildford
The town centre is the flat market — walkable to the station, best for commuters, and it turns over quickly so new places appear constantly. What the town centre market looks like.
If you want more space for the money, look further out — Charlotteville for period terraces within walking distance, or Onslow Village if you are at the university or the Royal Surrey.
Timing helps. Supply tightens sharply in August and September when students arrive. If you can move outside those months you will have more choice and less competition.
If something goes wrong
Your landlord cannot evict you without a legal reason and a court order. Section 21 no-fault eviction was abolished in May 2026 — what your landlord can and cannot do.
For free specialist advice, Shelter and Citizens Advice both have housing teams, and your council has duties if you are threatened with homelessness.
General information, not legal advice. Property Lounge, Guildford.
Looking for somewhere to rent?
We’re Property Lounge, an ARLA Propertymark accredited lettings agency in Guildford. If anything above raised a question about your own tenancy, we’re happy to talk it through — no charge and no obligation.
See renting with Property Lounge, or browse properties available to rent across Guildford and Surrey.
Call 01483 369209 or email lettings@propertylounge.co.uk.
