Would you normally have to pay a deposit until the end of tenancy on a flat?

Question

I signed up to rent a flat recently and paid a month's rent to secure the property. On the receipt for the deposit it says " received £525 towards the monthly rental payment". I assumed that the landlord would ask for a further £525 rent payment when we moved in. However he hasn't said anything at all. To be honest I am reluctant to bring it up as I am very short of cash at the moment so it would really help me out if I didnt have to pay this. However I don't want to feel that I am ripping him off. (This is the total opposite to my usual experiences of renting!)

Would it be usual for this payment to just cover the 1st month's rent or would we need to pay this in addition? Also, I havent signed a tenancy agreement yet, could this cause many problems?

Answer 1

i do not know of a landlord that does not ask for a months rent as deposit if yor rent is 525 then you would pay one thousand and 50 pounds when you move in and get the 525 back when you leave

Answer 2

usually you Pay 1 months rent and a deposit of a months rent in advance, So i am not sure what your landlord is doing, also You MUST have a lease, this protects you, and by law he should have one for you on moveing in.

Answer 3

normally when you rent a private flat/house you pay the landlord the 1st months rent in advance and also another months rent for a deposit which you will get back when you leave unless there is any damage done to the property.

Answer 4

It's normal to have half a month down or a month's deposit in advance, but he should have asked for this off you when you moved in. I would try hard to save £525 and keep it to one side in case he asks for it, or until you know for sure what he's doing. Maybe he doesn't know the standard procedure and is just going along without it.

The tenancy agreement is important. It gives you rights too, as well as him. I guess without an agreement you are free to leave whenever you like and he is free to kick you out (although eviction would take a while anyway and be messy for him!)

It sounds to me like he's treating it like a friendly agreement. I had one of those and it got me in trouble lol. I moved into my sisters place and she thought I would take over the upkeep of the property and I left a washing machine there and she billed me £600 for it. I had to furnish the place. Ended up costing me more than renting a really nice place. I would go along to a citizens advice bureaux or seek legal advice to make sure you are ok.