Renting a home in Doncaster

How to find a home to rent in the Doncaster borough, and how to rent out a property if you're a landlord.

Finding a home

There are three main providers of rented accommodation in Doncaster.

Private Landlords - rent out their properties at market rates. Many private landlords are represented by letting agents, but sometimes you will deal directly with your landlord
St Leger Homes of Doncaster - manage our council houses. To apply for housing you will need to apply directly to them. They will confirm whether you are eligible, how the allocations system works and assess your priority under the council’s allocations policy. Contact the Choice Based Lettings team for more information
Housing Associations/Registered Social Landlords (RSL's) - provide accommodation mainly to rent, although some provide home ownership schemes. A housing association prioritises people on its waiting list according to housing need. Most local housing associations let properties through the Choice Based Lettings allocation scheme operated by St Leger Homes of Doncaster. Some properties will, however, be let outside this scheme and you may want to apply direct to them

There are also other options available to help you find a property to rent. You can look in the local papers or on the internet at specialist property websites. You can also try driving/walking around the area you wish to rent in as some landlords will just put a notice in the property window or local shop windows with a contact telephone number.

Tenancy agreements

There are two main types of tenancy agreement:

Assured Shorthold Tenancy

This is the most common form and sets out a fixed period for the tenancy to run which is generally 6 or 12 months. (It cannot be less than 6 months). When this period ends, the landlord can regain possession after giving you at least 2 months notice to quit. If you receive notice to quit and you are unsure what to do, you can contact us for advice.

When the 2 months' notice period expires, the landlord cannot simply turn you out of the house. The landlord must go to court and be granted an order to have you evicted if you have not already moved out.

Assured Tenancy

With an assured tenancy your landlord cannot demand a possession order to have you evicted at the end of a fixed period. Provided that you comply with the terms of the agreement and no grounds for possession apply, your tenancy is secure.

More information is available on the Gov.uk website

Do I have to pay a deposit or bond to rent a property?

A landlord can ask a tenant to pay a deposit before they move in. The tenancy agreement should clearly state when a deposit can be fully or partly withheld. For example, the landlord should only withhold the amount needed to repair any damage that a tenant has caused.

When a deposit is taken the landlord must protect it with one of the government approved tenancy deposit schemes and inform the tenant that this has been done.