To ask if someone can explain month up front to me?

[Poliomolio2]

Basically during covid we got slightly behind on our rent, our agency was completely okay with this and said once it's sorted we can find a way to pay back.

We are due to renew our tenancy next month, they state if we want to leave they will take it out of the deposit

In our last property and this one we paid a month upfront, last time the last month (so this time would be next month's) was free as we paid in hand.

Surely, if this is the case again, they can take it out of that money rather than our deposit? Or if I pay in full this and next month, I'll get both back?

Is this correct?? I'm so confused!

we moved in on the 22nd of July and paid full rent in on the 22nd of August infact more as we swapped the rent to last day of the month. Honestly we never have had this before and always on the last month of the tenancy moved out and did not pay rent

If this is the case (seems very unlikely) you did not pay a month up front or in advance, you paid in arrears.

It seems more likely to me that you paid a month's rent on 22nd July (as well as your deposit), and the second month (and a bit)'s rent on 31st August. So if you continued to pay on the last day of the month, what you pay on June 30th will be your rent for July. That is not a free month in July, that is a month paid in advance. But you would not have to pay it again on July 31st, if this is the date you move out, no.

There is, in either case, no extra rent paid that your debt can be set off against.

I apologise if someone's already said this but I haven't gone through all the posts.

Look at it as a big picture. Ordinarily on a 12 month lease you'd expect to pay 12 x £775 plus the deposit of £775 = £10,075. You'd then (hopefully!) get the deposit back so overall you'd have paid £9,300.

Compare this to how much you've actually paid. What's left to pay?

If you're one month in arrears it's possible that they could use the deposit to pay the final month's rent, but it won't then leave them with any deposit to hold against damages, etc. I imagine most landlords/agents would prefer you pay all the rent and then allow them the option to return the whole, or partial deposit as necessary.

It's much harder for them to come after you for recompense for damages if all the deposit has gone against the rent.

when you move into a rental you pay for that month up front so you pay you stay for the month and so on, when it come to the end date you pay at the start of that month like always and then leave 4 weeks later.

so if you moved in on the 4th August you stay for that month, then pay on 4th sept stay for that month etc and up to the 4th July - move out the end of July as this would be 12 months .. so you always pay up front so it may seem like you have a month free as you are paying before you stay.

If you are in arrears then they may be looking at it differently. But unless you paid 2 months rent up front and a deposit you do not get a month free you just paying it in advance

that's really odd as we have never paid the last month. Two previous properties and that last months always been the month we move and no rent due!

You paid for that last month. No landlord, let alone all will give you free month just because. Pps explained very well how paying month up front works

Theres no such thing as a free month. I think the way your last tenancy was handled toward the end is causing the confusion. When you start a tenancy you will be asked (usually) for the equivalant of 2 months rent. 1 month is your rent in advance..the other month is classed as a deposit..it secures against damage or should tenant do a flit and give no notice the landlord will keep this to cover the no notice period. Once you give notice an infantry will be done of the premises, expense of any damage will be deducted from the extra month and any remaining monies will be paid to you, if you break agreement you wont get any money back. Arrears are totally separate from the extra 1 month you paid and this money will not be touched to pay arrears unless tenancy is broken. So, either you pay the arrears and then give appropriate notice and providing no damage has been done you will receive this money back in full or you up sticks, dont pay arrears but lose the month to compensate landlord..

I'm quite stunned that a grown adult can't understand this even when multiple posters have explained.

Basically you won't be getting it free and you will have to pay your arrears.

Usually rent works that you always pay at the start of the upcoming month. So let’s say you were moving into a house costing £500 rent with tenancy starting on 1st May and ending on 31st August.

On securing the property you might pay the deposit and £500 rent ‘up front,’ which would cover your rent for all of May.

On 31st May you’d pay £500 - that £500 is paid in May but covering the next month, June.

On 30th June you’d pay £500 for July.

On 31st July you’d pay £500 for August.

If you were moving out you wouldn’t pay anything in August as that would have been covered by your last payment.

If you decided to renew your tenancy you would pay £500 on 31st August to cover September. If you then ended the tenancy to move out on, say, December 31st then your last payment would be on November 31st, to cover the final month.

Obviously you need to clarify with your landlord but afaik not paying the final month's rent is not how things normally work. That's not fair on the landlord as they would have nothing to use to pay for any damage. They need the security of the deposit

You do not get a FREE month. You pay a month in advance

The deposit is completely separate, it goes into a Government backed Tenant Deposit scheme to protect you, the tenant.

The landlord cannot just take your deposit nor can the letting agent.

They can apply to have any rental owing deducted from the deposit held .

You must make sure the property is spotless and returned with any breakages made good.
This will maximise the amount returned to you from the Tenancy Deposit Scheme.
Your first recourse is the letting agent. They want an amicable resolution aswell as they won't want to expend time going through all the procedures to seek redress.

@cuparfull yes, i get that i worded it wrong 🙄 but at the end of the day the last month I did not have to pay! That's all I was trying to say.

If you dont pay your last months rent you will not get your deposit back, itl will be used to cover the month you didnt pay..so not a free month..

@schrodingersimmigrant.. I get that. I meant I did not pay on the last month! Obviously Im just stupid and struggle with wording.

@ohoneohtwo I have a 6 month old, who is in the middle of a regression and teething, sorry that I'm a bit stupid also and trying!! To understand! Hence why I asked. I was confused about the matter as its been handled differently in my two previous properties and I have never had outstanding rent prior to this and Covid! So excuse me for being confused by something I have never faced and every answer I got was different! Yes the word free was the WRONG one to use but, i meant more that I did not pay on that last month. I do not know the logistics behind it all and this is my first time renting with an agency.

@Louise91417 please read full thread, ive already stated that I'm willing to pay the outstanding balance but I was confused about the months upfront.

@BillysMyBunny thank you for explaining and not being patronising or rude. I've never rented with an agency before and it's been different this time around plus covid and being a bit short with the rent the past few months which we have never been before i was totally confused regarding the whole situation and obviously worded wrong. Thank yiu again