Check what your landlord can legally ask you to buy
Choose your nation and the product you've been asked to take, and it hands back the statute itself, quoted at section level with the date it was read. Check that against what's actually happened to you, since the match is not guaranteed.
Where the answer comes from
When an agent hands you a pack that says you need a specific insurance policy, a deposit-replacement product or a guarantor service, the first thing you want to know is whether the landlord can insist on it where you live. The law on this differs by nation, so you start by telling the tool which nation you rent in and which of those products you've been asked to take.
From there it works through to the section of the statute that covers it and gives you that text, quoted. Each answer carries the date the text was read, so you can see what it was checked against and go back to the source yourself.
What that looks like for a renter in England
GOV.UK states that a tenant in England can choose whether to take out contents insurance, use a deposit-replacement product or arrange a guarantor service, and that the choice is the tenant's to make (GOV.UK, read 30 September 2026). Since 1 May 2026, section 27 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 has extended the Tenant Fees Act 2019 from assured shorthold tenancies to assured tenancies in England, for specified purposes (legislation.gov.uk, read 30 September 2026).
Asking the question directly is usually the quickest way to find out where you stand. Our landlord requirement check guide walks you through the question step-by-step for each product and nation.
Where the tool returns text like this, it's quoting the section as read on that date. Statutes get amended, and the tool can point you to the wrong section, or miss a detail your situation turns on, if the law has moved on since that date. That's why the quote is there for you to read against the current version yourself.
England, Wales and Scotland on requiring a payment at move-in
Each row sets out what one nation's legislation says about requiring a payment at move-in, and where the text stops short of naming the product directly.
| Nation | What the law covers | What the text doesn't mention | Source, as read |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | A required insurance policy, deposit-replacement fee or guarantor service falls outside the payments a landlord or agent is allowed to charge. | The Act doesn't name insurance, deposit-replacement products or guarantor services directly. The position follows from what's left off its list of permitted payments. | Tenant Fees Act 2019 |
| Wales | Requiring a contract for services as a condition of granting, renewing or continuing a standard occupation contract is an offence. | The section doesn't single out insurance or deposit-replacement by name. It covers any required service contract, which these products fall under. | Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019, section 2(2), read 30 September 2026 |
| Scotland | Requiring a premium, meaning any sum beyond the rent, as a condition of a tenancy is an offence. | The Act doesn't name guarantor services specifically. That case is read against the general rule on premiums. | Rent (Scotland) Act 1984, read 30 September 2026 |
Wales and Scotland are quoted directly from each Act, read on 30 September 2026. England's position is read from the Tenant Fees Act 2019's list of permitted payments. Northern Ireland isn't shown here until its own legislation has been read at source.
What to say if you're told a product is compulsory
When an agent or landlord tells you a product is compulsory, the first thing worth asking is what rule they think gives them that right. A landlord or agent can ask you to take out contents insurance, a deposit-replacement product, pet cover or a guarantor service, but whether they can make it a condition of renting depends on what the law in your nation says about that particular product. Asking the question directly, rather than assuming either way, is usually the quickest way to find out where you stand. The landlord requirement check guide walks you through the question step-by-step for each product and nation.
Ask where the requirement comes from
A reasonable question to put back is where the requirement comes from. Is it written into the tenancy agreement, raised informally at the viewing, or built into a deposit-replacement scheme the agent has chosen to use? The answer tells you what you're disputing, because a requirement set out in the contract is a different thing from one given verbally, even where the law treats them the same way.
If the clause is already in the tenancy agreement
Finding a clause in your contract does not settle the question on its own. A clause can only require what the law allows it to require, so a term asking for something the law doesn't permit does not become enforceable just by being written down. It's worth saying to the agent directly that a clause being in the agreement isn't the same as the clause being lawful.
If it's offered as an alternative to a deposit
Some products aren't presented as compulsory outright. They're offered as one way of meeting a deposit requirement, alongside a traditional deposit. That's a different situation from being told you must take the product and nothing else will do, and it's worth being precise with the agent about which one you've been offered before deciding how to respond.
Putting the question in writing
A conversation at the viewing or over the phone is easy to forget or restate later. Asking the agent or landlord to confirm the requirement and its basis by email gives you something to refer back to, and it often brings a more careful answer than the one given at the front desk.
None of this amounts to legal advice on your particular tenancy. What you can say to an agent or landlord still turns on what your nation's legislation says about the specific product you've been asked to take.
Questions that come up next
What if the letting agent tells me it's compulsory?
An agent's instruction doesn't change what the law in your nation actually permits a landlord to require. If the Can my landlord make me buy this? tool shows that your nation's statute doesn't allow the requirement, that's the position you can put back to the agent, in the words the legislation itself uses.
What if the requirement is written into my tenancy agreement?
A clause in a signed agreement doesn't make a requirement lawful if the relevant Act says otherwise. Legislation on what a landlord can charge or demand sits above the wording of an individual contract, so a clause asking for a payment or product the law treats as prohibited doesn't become enforceable just because you agreed to it. Check what your nation's law says before deciding how to respond to the clause itself.
What if it's offered as an alternative to a deposit?
This is a different situation from being told a product is compulsory. A deposit-replacement product or guarantor service offered as one option among several isn't covered by the same rule as a flat requirement, and the position differs by nation. Asking the question directly is usually the quickest way to find out where you stand. Our landlord requirement check guide walks you through the question step-by-step for each product and nation. Select how it was actually put to you in the tool.
Does the answer change depending on which nation I rent in?
Yes. England, Wales and Scotland each have their own legislation on what a landlord can require at move-in, and the wording isn't the same between them. A rule that applies in England shouldn't be read across to a tenancy in Wales or Scotland, which is why the tool asks for your nation before it gives you an answer.
Can the tool give me the wrong answer?
The tool returns statutory text quoted at section level with the date it was read, so you can check it against the source yourself. It can still get it wrong, for instance if your situation doesn't fit the categories it offers or the law has moved on since that text was last read, so treat the result as something to verify against the source.
If a deposit-replacement product is offered, am I still at risk?
Yes. Paying a non-refundable fee for a deposit-replacement product doesn't remove your liability for damage or arrears at the end of the tenancy. If the provider pays the landlord on your behalf, you become liable to repay the provider, so the fee buys you a different payment structure.