Terms and Conditions | Renters Rights Toolkit

1. Who we are

Renters Rights Toolkit publishes practical tools, guides, checkers, templates and evidence resources for people dealing with private renting issues in England.

The website is published under the name Renters Rights Toolkit. For website, editorial, correction or source enquiries, you can contact us at contact@rentersrightstoolkit.co.uk.

Renters Rights Toolkit is not a law firm, council, court, tribunal, ombudsman, deposit scheme, government department or emergency service.

2. What these terms cover

These terms apply when you use any part of the website, including pages, guides, tools, forms, calculators, checkers, templates, generated wording, downloadable or copyable text, internal links, source lists and contact routes.

Separate pages explain our privacy, cookies, accessibility, corrections, editorial process, expert review standards and legal disclaimer. Those pages should be read together with these terms.

If you do not agree with these terms, you should not use the website.

3. What you can use the website for

The website is designed for practical self-help and information, not case-specific legal advice.

Personal use The points below explain how you can use it, and what it cannot do for you.

Understand your renting issue

You may use the website to understand general renting routes, prepare questions, organise evidence and identify next steps. Check the official sources too, and get advice if your situation is complicated.

Our services

Alongside the free guides and tools, Renters Rights Toolkit offers support services such as document reviews, evidence preparation, compliance checks and introductions to independent solicitors. Details and any cost are agreed with you in writing before work starts. These services help you organise information and are not regulated legal advice or representation. Any solicitor we introduce acts under their own terms, and only with your consent.

Templates

Draft messages and letters

You may copy template wording for your own personal, non-commercial use, provided you edit it so it matches your own facts.

Tools Please check the wording against your own facts before you send anything.

Use checkers as prompts

You may use tool results as structured prompts, but they do not decide whether a notice, claim, complaint or legal route is valid.

Evidence Always check a result against the official sources before you act on it.

Prepare better records

You may use evidence prompts to organise dates, messages, photos, rent records, safety documents, deposit records and complaint references.

Learning Well-kept records are useful whichever route you decide to take.

Compare official sources

You may use source links to compare our summaries with official guidance, specialist advice and relevant external routes.

Limits If they differ, the official source should always take priority over our summary.

Do not treat it as representation

Using this website does not create a solicitor-client relationship, adviser-client relationship or any professional representation. Our support services are also not legal advice, and any solicitor acts under their own terms.

4. General information only

Renters Rights Toolkit provides general information about private renting issues, mainly for England. It cannot assess every fact that may affect your situation, including your tenancy type, agreement wording, notices, dates, service evidence, court papers, council correspondence, disability, household circumstances or local authority practice.

What the website can do	Explain common routes, list evidence, provide checklists, create draft wording, link to sources and flag issues that may need advice.
What the website cannot do	Decide your legal position, review your documents, act for you, contact your landlord, file forms, represent you, guarantee an outcome or replace professional advice.
When to get advice	Get qualified advice for court papers, bailiffs, eviction risk, homelessness, harassment, illegal eviction, serious repairs, discrimination, rent arrears, tribunal deadlines or large financial claims.
Different routes	Rules may differ for social housing, lodgers, student halls, supported accommodation, property guardians, company lets, licences, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

5. Your responsibility when using tools

Many tools depend on the information you enter. A tool result may be incomplete or wrong if the information is missing, inaccurate, out of date or affected by a fact that the tool did not ask about.

You are responsible for checking all dates, documents, notices, rent figures, payment records, deposit details, photos, messages, source links and official deadlines before relying on a result.

Tool results should be treated as prompts for checking, not as final decisions.

6. Your responsibility when using templates

Template letters and message wording are starting points only. You must edit them so they are truthful, accurate and suitable for your own situation.

You should remove anything that does not apply, add your own dates and evidence, avoid exaggerated claims and get advice before sending a high-risk message.

We are not responsible for how a landlord, agent, tenant, council, tribunal, court, deposit scheme or other person responds to wording you send.

7. Acceptable use rules

You may use the website only in a lawful, fair and responsible way. The points below explain what is and is not allowed when you use the site.

You may use the site for personal help

You may read guides, use tools, copy personal template wording and follow internal or external links for your own renting issue. This includes printing a guide or a letter for your own use.

Advisers may use it as a support resource

Advisers, support workers and volunteers may use the site as a general information resource, provided they do not present it as legal advice from us.

Landlords and agents may use compliance tools

Landlords and agents may use relevant content for general compliance awareness, but should get professional advice before formal action. It does not replace your own legal advice, or your own policies and procedures.

Do not misuse the website

You must not interfere with the website, attempt unauthorised access, overload it, scrape it aggressively, introduce malware or bypass security controls. This includes trying to overload the site or to get into anyone else’s account.

Do not use content deceptively

You must not present our content as official government, court, tribunal, council, solicitor, Shelter, Citizens Advice or ombudsman content. Using a template does not give any document official status.

Do not use it for unlawful activity

You must not use the website to harass, threaten, discriminate, defame, deceive, impersonate, spam or break the law. We may report misuse and take away access to the site or to your account.

8. Intellectual property and permitted copying

Unless stated otherwise, the website design, wording, guides, templates, tool structures, checklists, page layouts, graphics, brand name and other content belong to Renters Rights Toolkit or are used under appropriate permission or source attribution.

Personal copying	You may copy short template wording, checklists or guide extracts for your own personal renting issue.
Adviser use	Advisers may use the site to support general advice work, but should not remove context, warnings, source links or legal-disclaimer wording.
Commercial reuse	You must not republish, sell, licence, copy at scale, scrape, clone or repackage the website or tools for commercial use without permission.
Attribution	If you quote a small part of the website publicly, you should credit Renters Rights Toolkit and link to the relevant page where appropriate.
Official source material	Some linked official sources may have their own licensing terms. You should check the original source if you want to reuse official material.

9. Contact forms, emails and user submissions

If you contact us, submit a correction, suggest a topic or send feedback, you are responsible for making sure your message is lawful, accurate and appropriate.

Do not send full court papers, identity documents, medical records, bank statements, tenancy files, personal data about other people or highly sensitive evidence unless we have specifically asked for it and a safe route has been agreed.

We may use non-confidential feedback to improve the website, fix errors, clarify wording, add warnings or update source links.

10. No emergency monitoring

Contact routes on this website are not monitored as emergency services, legal advice hotlines, council homelessness teams or court duty desks.

If your issue is urgent, use the correct official or professional route instead of waiting for a website response.

Call emergency services if there is immediate danger.
Contact your council homelessness team if you may lose your home.
Contact the court or tribunal if a deadline is close.
Contact a housing adviser or solicitor for legal advice.

11. Accuracy, updates and corrections

We aim to publish useful, source-led and current information, but renting law, guidance, forms, commencement dates, tribunal routes, council practice and official source pages can change.

We do not guarantee that every page is complete, current or free from error at the moment you read it. You should check official sources and get advice where the issue is important or time-sensitive.

Correction reports	You can report an error, outdated source, broken link, unclear warning, accessibility issue or tool problem through the corrections page.
Review priority	High-risk issues are prioritised first, especially eviction, homelessness, illegal eviction, serious repairs, court, tribunal, rent, deposits and discrimination.
Possible outcomes	We may correct, clarify, update, expand, remove or leave content unchanged depending on the source review.
No individual advice	A correction report does not mean we can advise on your individual case or act on your behalf.

Read corrections policy View sources

12. External links and third-party websites

The website links to official sources, specialist housing advice, deposit schemes, councils, courts, tribunals, regulators, ombudsman routes and other third-party websites.

External links are provided for verification, signposting and user convenience. We do not control third-party websites and are not responsible for their content, availability, policies, forms, advice, services, data handling or decisions.

A link does not mean the external organisation endorses Renters Rights Toolkit.

13. Privacy and cookies

Your use of the website is also covered by our privacy policy and cookie policy. These explain what information may be collected, how contact messages may be handled and how cookies or similar technologies may be used.

You should avoid entering unnecessary personal data into tools or contact forms, especially sensitive information about health, disability, finances, immigration, children, domestic abuse, court papers or other people.

14. Availability, security and changes to the website

We may change, update or remove parts of the website where needed. The points below explain what you can expect from us, and what we ask of you.

Website availability

We do not guarantee that the website, tools, scripts, forms or source links will always be available, uninterrupted or error-free. Please keep your own copies of anything that is important to you.

Tool behaviour

Tools may be updated, paused, removed or replaced if rules change, errors are found or a better structure is needed. Check the date on any result, and run a tool again if the rules may have changed.

Security

You must not attempt to break, test, bypass or interfere with website security, forms, scripts or hosting. If you think you have found a security problem, please tell us by email.

Compatibility

We do not guarantee that every page or tool will work perfectly on every device, browser, extension or network. Please let us know if something does not work on your device.

Changes

We may update these terms, policy pages, guides, tools, source links and templates from time to time. The date at the top of a page shows when it was last reviewed.

Urgent reliance

If a deadline is close, do not wait for website access or updates. Use official or qualified advice routes immediately. Speak to an adviser or a solicitor straight away if time is short.

15. Liability limits

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability where it would be unlawful to do so. Subject to that, Renters Rights Toolkit is not responsible for loss, damage, costs, missed deadlines, incorrect messages, legal consequences or other outcomes arising from use of the website, tools, templates or external links.

Tool and template use	You are responsible for checking and editing any output before using it.
External decisions	We are not responsible for decisions made by landlords, agents, tenants, councils, courts, tribunals, schemes, advisers or third-party organisations.
Financial loss	We are not responsible for rent arrears, deposit losses, compensation outcomes, costs, fees, deductions or other financial consequences.
Legal position	We are not responsible for how a court, tribunal, council, deposit scheme or other decision-maker assesses your facts.
Professional advice	You should get qualified advice where your issue may affect your home, safety, money, legal rights or deadlines.

16. Suspension or restriction of access

We may restrict, block, rate-limit or take other protective action if we reasonably believe the website is being misused, attacked, scraped at scale, interfered with, used unlawfully or used in a way that risks harm to other users or the service.

We may also remove or disable forms, tools, scripts, pages or features where needed for maintenance, security, accuracy, legal compliance or user safety.

17. Governing law

These terms are intended to be governed by the law of England and Wales, unless mandatory rules say otherwise.

The website is mainly written for private renting in England. If you are outside England, or your housing arrangement is not private renting, you should check the rules that apply to your location and arrangement.

These terms do not affect any legal rights that cannot be excluded by law.

18. Related policy pages

These pages explain how the website is limited, reviewed, corrected and managed. Reading them together gives you the full picture of how the site works.

Legal disclaimer

Understand why the website provides general information only and does not give legal advice. It also tells you where to turn for advice on your own situation.

Read legal disclaimer

Privacy policy

Read how contact messages, technical data and privacy-related issues are handled. It also covers your rights, and how to contact us about your data.

Read privacy policy

Cookie policy

Read how cookies and similar technologies may be used on the website. It also explains what you can do to control them.

Read cookie policy

Corrections policy

Report errors, broken links, outdated sources, unclear warnings or accessibility barriers. Please use it if you find anything that looks wrong or out of date.

Read corrections policy

19. Sources used for this terms page

This terms page is based on a practical website terms structure, adapted for a general information and self-help toolkit. It is not a bespoke legal document drafted for every possible risk.

GOV.UK: Terms and conditions Useful official example of a public website terms page covering use, content, links, virus protection, liability and law. NI Business Info: Sample website terms Business support example covering ownership, acceptable use, availability, cookies, links and liability disclaimers. ICO: Cookies UK information about cookies and similar technologies.

Document note: For a high-risk commercial platform, paid service, membership system, marketplace, legal service or user account product, these terms should be reviewed by a qualified solicitor.

Question about these terms?

Contact us if a term is unclear, a link is broken or the website needs a correction. Do not send urgent legal documents or sensitive personal evidence through ordinary email.

Terms of use FAQs

Quick answers about using Renters Rights Toolkit responsibly.

Do these terms make the website legal advice?

No. The website provides general information, checkers, templates and evidence prompts. It does not provide legal advice, legal representation or regulated legal services. Use outputs to organise facts and prepare questions for the relevant professional or authority. Reading a guide or submitting an inquiry does not create a solicitor-client relationship or guarantee a particular result.

Can I copy a template letter?

Yes, for your own personal, non-commercial use. You must edit the wording so it matches your facts and remove anything that is not true. Check the recipient, dates and requested action before sending, and retain the completed version. A template cannot decide which legal procedure applies to your situation or prove that a notice was delivered.

Can landlords and agents use the site?

Yes. Landlords and agents may use relevant compliance content as general information, but should get professional advice before serving notices, changing rent or taking formal action.

Can advisers use the site with clients?

Yes, as a general support resource. Advisers should not present the site as legal advice from Renters Rights Toolkit and should apply their own professional judgement.

Are tool results guaranteed?

No. Tool results depend on the information entered and may not capture every fact. They are prompts, not legal decisions. Review the assumptions and compare the output with your original documents. If facts are uncertain or a deadline is close, take the result to an appropriate adviser rather than treating it as a binding answer.

Can I republish the website content?

You may not copy, clone, sell, scrape at scale, repackage or commercially republish the website or tools without permission. Request permission before using substantial material in another publication or product. Linking readers to the relevant page is different from copying the site’s text, tools or artwork into your own service.

What if I find an error?

Use the corrections page or contact us. Include the page URL, the wording affected and the best official or specialist source you have. Explain the practical consequence if the mistake affects a deadline or route. Do not include sensitive tenancy documents when a quotation, URL and supporting source are sufficient to identify the problem.

What if my issue is urgent?

Do not rely only on this website. Contact a housing adviser, solicitor, council homelessness team, court, tribunal or emergency service as appropriate. Have the relevant notice, hearing date or reference ready when you contact them. Website inquiries and correction requests are separate channels and should not be relied on for an urgent response.

What does our terms of use cover?

Our terms of use explains the terms for using Renters Rights Toolkit in plain English. It sets out what applies, who it applies to and how it connects to the rest of the site, including the pages on no legal advice and limitation of liability. People usually reach our terms of use after searching for terms of use or website terms and conditions, so it is written to answer those questions directly rather than to restate boilerplate.

Who does our terms of use apply to?

Our terms of use applies to everyone who uses this site: private renters, landlords, letting agents, guarantors, advisers and anyone reading a guide or running a checker. It matters most if you are relying on the site for the terms for using Renters Rights Toolkit, or if you want to understand how limitation of liability and intellectual property are handled before you act on anything you read here.

How do I ask a question or raise an issue about our terms of use?

Use the contact page to raise anything about our terms of use, including a correction, a broken link, an accessibility barrier or a question about the terms for using Renters Rights Toolkit. Give the page address and, if you are reporting an error, the official source you think is correct — that makes it far quicker to verify. Questions about third party links or no legal advice are answered by pointing you to the relevant guide or checker rather than by giving advice on your individual case.

Does our terms of use change my legal rights as a renter or landlord?

No. Our terms of use describes how this site works and what you can expect from it. It does not change, replace or limit any statutory right or obligation, and nothing on this site is legal advice. Your rights on matters such as limitation of liability and intellectual property come from legislation and official guidance, which every relevant page cites. For a live dispute, deadline or safety issue, contact Shelter, Citizens Advice, a housing solicitor or your local council.