Guides
Renting, explained honestly
Most landlords and tenants never get told the rules. Here they are, in plain English.
Renters' Rights Act for overseas landlordsIn force since 1 May 2026: rolling tenancies, the end of section 21, written tenancy terms. What changed, what is still to come, and what to do about it from abroad.My letting agent is retiring. Now what?What happens to the tenancy, the deposit and the paperwork when an agency closes, and how to choose where your management goes next.Moving abroad: what to do with your UK homeSell, leave it empty, or let it out? The honest trade-offs, your lender's consent, the NRL scheme, and a ten-step checklist before you fly.Found a tenant on OpenRent? Who manages the tenancyTenant-finding is step one. Who collects the rent, fixes the boiler and tracks the certificates for the next three years, and what that costs.Am I paying my letting agent too much?What full management normally costs, the fee traps hiding in your agreement, and a five-minute audit of your own statements.Fixed fee vs percentage: which costs less?The break-even arithmetic between the two pricing models, why percentages persist, and a calculator for your own numbers.UK rental income when you live in the NetherlandsWho taxes what: the NRL scheme and Self Assessment on the UK side, box 3 and treaty relief on the Dutch side, and the records that make both easy.Renting out your UK property while living abroadThe cornerstone guide for overseas landlords: the Non-Resident Landlord Scheme, compliance from a distance, rent collection across timezones, and what it all costs.The Non-Resident Landlord Scheme, explainedWho counts as a non-resident landlord, how to receive rent without tax deducted at source (form NRL1), and what your agent or tenant must do.What a letting agent costs an overseas landlordFull management typically runs 12–18% of rent plus VAT. A worked example against flat-fee management, in one honest table.How rent collection works when you live abroadWhere the rent goes, who chases arrears across timezones, and why rent should never be paid straight to a foreign account.The compliance certificates every landlord needsGas safety, EICR, EPC, Right to Rent, alarms, deposit protection and the written tenancy information: each deadline, with the official sources.Cheerfulrent vs traditional letting agentsWhat agents do for their percentage, what we do differently for a flat fee, and an honest look at when each is the better choice.The landlord's guide to lettingEvery document the law requires before a tenant moves in, what changes under the Renters' Rights Act, and how Cheerfulrent handles the paperwork.The tenant's guide to rentingYour deposit rights, what your landlord must give you, repair timelines, and what fair rent collection looks like.The resource hub: official guides, forms & PDFsWritten tenancy information, deposit schemes, right-to-rent checks, Gas Safe, the Renters' Rights Act, Shelter and Citizens Advice: every official source, one page.
We serve the required documents for you
When a tenancy starts through Cheerfulrent, we make sure the tenant receives the deposit prescribed information: a document a landlord is legally required to serve, and one of the most often forgotten. If anything else needs posting, tell us and we'll handle it.
These guides are plain-English summaries for England, not legal advice. Rules differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and change over time. For edge cases, speak to a solicitor or your local council's housing team.