Can I make a charge if my tenant has not paid rent?

In the past, it has been common for landlords to provide in their tenancy agreements for penalty payments in the event of tenants failing to pay their rent.  

Sometimes landlords and agents have also made a charge for sending letters.

However, in England after 1 June 2019, any such charges are a prohibited payment under the Tenant Fees Act.

The ONLY charge which a landlord is entitled to make now is interest which can be charged on unpaid rent if the rent is unpaid for a period of 14 days or more.

However, if the rent is unpaid for 14 days, any interest is chargeable from the day the rent fell due until payment.

The interest rate chargeable is limited to 3% above the Bank of England base rate and is payable for each day that the payment is outstanding.

Bank of England Base rate

This is the rate that the Bank of England charges to borrow money. Find out more at the Bank of England website: bankofengland.co.uk.