1. Know your rights

Before you begin negotiating, make sure you know what your rights are. To start with see our short guide Private renting in England. Check what your tenancy agreement says but don't assume it has got the law right or tells you everything there is to know. If you need more help, Shelter has lots of useful online guidance for private renters. 

If you are negotiating about an increase in your rent, be aware that the law changed on 1st May 2026:

• Your landlord can now only put the rent up once a year. 
• Your landlord must give you two months' notice before they put the rent up. 
• If you think the rent increase is unfairly high, you have the right to challenge it at a tribunal. 

Before you speak to your landlord or agent on this issue, make sure you have researched the current rental price of similar sized properties in the area. You can do this using property websites.

2. Have a plan

Plan what you are going to ask for and how. Gather any documents or evidence you might need - for example if repairs need doing, take photos and videos of the problem. 

Anticipate your landlord's objections or potential problems with your plan and think about how you might respond to them. For example, if a rent increase seems unavoidable, do you want to ask for some of your household bills to be included within the rent or for your landlord to carry out some repair work in return? If your landlord agrees to any work, get it in writing and set a deadline.

Remember to remind your landlord what a good tenant you are - for example, how well you have looked after their property, how you pay your rent on time, and cause no trouble for the neighbours etc. Landlords are often keen to avoid having to find new tenants, as this takes time and admin and often means they lose weeks of rent while the property is empty.

Having a plan can help you remember what you want during the conversation with your landlord.

3. Be flexible

You may need to be flexible at certain points in a conversation with your landlord or their letting agent. For example, perhaps you want them to redecorate 4 walls following some repairs but they are only offering to redecorate 2 walls. Maybe you can agree on 3 or ask them to give you the paint so that you can redecorate the rest of the room? Decide in advance what you are willing to compromise on, and how far.

4. Be calm, confident and assertive

Some landlords can be hostile or dismissive, even aggressive. Stay calm and polite and try not to let yourself be intimidated.

5. Ask questions

If your landlord or their letting agent presents you with new information or options, don’t be afraid to ask questions until you are confident you understand what has been said. Don’t agree to anything until you are sure you know what it means. This might mean taking a note of what they are offering and asking to come back to them on it at a later date.

6. Know when to walk away

You may need to end the negotiation in order to do more research, speak with your housemates, or think about your options more carefully without pressure. If the negotiation is starting to get out of hand and feel stressful, it may be best to end the conversation and try again another time.

If you reach an agreement you are happy with, be charming and thank them. Don't be petty or try for more when you've got the result you wanted. Chances are you will need to negotiate with them again at some point. Make sure you get everything agreed, recorded in writing - send an email setting out what you have agreed. 

Next steps 

Repairs - learn more about what your landlord is responsible for fixing at your rented home and use our letter tool to write to your landlord. 

Acknowledgments 

This short guide was written and produced by Advicenow. This update was funded by Trust For London.