Guides › Rent and Deposits › Rental Bidding: Offers Above the Advertised Rent
Rental Bidding: Offers Above the Advertised Rent
In England, landlords and letting agents must advertise a specific rent, not a range, and must not ask for, encourage or accept offers above it. They cannot claim there are other bids to push you up. Councils can fine them up to £7,000. You can report even if you already bid higher.
At A Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
What Is Banned
Bidding
Landlords and agents cannot ask or encourage you to pay more than the advertised rent, cannot accept a bid above it, cannot publish a price range and ask for bids, and cannot say there are other bids to push you to raise your offer. A written advert must state a specific rent. A "to let" sign is not a written advert. source
Reporting It
How to Report
Contact your local council. You can still report if you bid above the advertised rent after being asked or encouraged to, or if you bid above it and the landlord accepted. The council may ask for evidence of the advertised rent, evidence of bidding, a statement and the tenancy agreement. If confirmed, it can fine the landlord or agent up to £7,000. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- £7,000Maximum fineLandlord or letting agent
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
Save the advert with the date and the advertised rent.
Step 2 of 5
Keep messages in which you were asked or encouraged to offer more.
Step 3 of 5
Report it to your local council.
Step 4 of 5
Ask for any overpayment back and keep proof of payment.
Step 5 of 5
Complain to the agent, then their redress scheme.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
Your Local Council
Housing or environmental health team. It can act on landlord breaches.
Shelter England
Free advice on deposit claims and eviction notices.
Citizens Advice
Free advice on any renting problem.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
The rules apply to landlords and letting agents, and to England only.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different rules for renting.
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If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.
Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 14 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- gov.uk/assured-periodic-tenancies-tenants/rental-bidding Checked 14 October 2026
- england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/tenancy_deposits/check_your_tenancy_deposit_is_protected/deposit_not_protected Checked 12 October 2026
- citizensadvice.org.uk Checked 8 October 2026