Withholding Rent

Withholding rent is when a tenant deliberately stops paying some or all of their rent, usually to put pressure on a landlord to carry out repairs or deal with poor conditions. Rent remains contractually due, and non-payment usually counts as arrears.

If you withhold rent without a clear legal basis or written agreement, your landlord can normally treat this as a breach of tenancy and may start possession proceedings for rent arrears using the statutory grounds and, after the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is in force, those strengthened Section 8–style grounds will be the only route to evict. Even serious disrepair does not automatically cancel your duty to pay. Specialist advisers usually describe withholding rent as a high-risk tactic.

The reforms around the Renters’ Rights Act and Awaab’s Law specifically focus instead on stricter repair duties, time limits, ombudsman and enforcement routes, rather than giving tenants a simple right to stop paying rent. Tenants who are considering withholding rent should normally seek urgent independent housing advice and explore safer options, such as formal complaints, disrepair claims, rent repayment or negotiated reductions.