Address rulesLetting agents
Using your letting agent's address as your landlord address
Last reviewed
In short
You can usually use your letting agent's office as your address for notices under section 48 and on the written statement, if the agent agrees to accept notices for you and pass them on promptly. It does not work on its own for written rent demands, where the Upper Tribunal has held section 47 needs your own address. When you change agent or start managing yourself, the address has to change too.
Can your letting agent's address be your section 48 address?
Yes, if the agent agrees. Section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 asks for an address in England and Wales at which notices, including notices in proceedings, may be served on you, and it can be satisfied by an agent's address. The agent has to be willing to accept notices for you and pass them on quickly, because tenants will treat that address as the place to reach you.
Can the agent's address go on the tenancy agreement?
For assured tenancies in England from 1 May 2026 the written statement must include your name and an address in England and Wales where notices can be served on you. An agent's office can be that address on the same terms as section 48. Your name must still be your own. See the address on a tenancy agreement.
Can the agent's address go on rent demands?
Not on its own. Section 47 says a written demand for rent or other sums must contain the landlord's name and address. In Beitov Properties Ltd v Martin the Upper Tribunal held this means the landlord's own address, where an individual lives or carries on business, and not an agent's.
So if your agent sends written demands for you, they should carry your name and your own address as well as the agent's details. If a demand falls short, any service or administration charge in it is treated as not due until the information is given by notice. See section 47 and rent demands.
Where does an agent's address work?
| Rule | Agent's address? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Section 48 notice | Yes | If the agent agrees to accept notices for you |
| Written statement from 1 May 2026 | Yes | On the same terms as section 48 |
| Written rent demands | No Not on its own | Your own name and address are needed |
| Tenant's written request | Agent replies | A request sent to the agent must be answered within 21 days |
| Deposit prescribed information | Check | Some scheme templates allow agent details, and whether that complies is debated |
| HM Land Registry | Possible | A care-of address is accepted, but it goes out of date when you change agent |
| PRS database | Partly | Your agent can provide certain information for you, but you stay responsible and your residential address is still collected |
What if a tenant asks your agent for your address?
Under section 1 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 a tenant can ask the landlord's agent in writing for the landlord's name and address. The agent must supply a written statement within 21 days, and failing to do so without reasonable excuse is an offence. Agree in advance which name and address your agent will give, so the answer is quick and consistent. See when a tenant asks for your name and address.
Can your agent deal with the PRS database for you?
Partly. GOV.UK says landlords can agree that their letting agent or property manager provides certain information on their behalf, but the landlord remains responsible. Individual landlords still give their residential address. Each property also needs a correspondence address, which cannot be a PO Box number. If you use your agent's office for that, it will need updating when you change agent. See the PRS database explained.
Does it matter whether your agent fully manages or is let-only?
It can. A fully managing agent deals with the tenants day to day, so accepting notices for you fits with what they already do. A let-only or tenant-find agent generally steps back once the tenancy starts. They may not want to receive notices for a tenancy they no longer manage, and they may not tell you quickly when something arrives.
Whatever service you pay for, ask your agent in writing:
- Will you accept notices, including court papers, on my behalf?
- How quickly will you tell me when one arrives, and how?
- How long will you do this for, and what happens to my post after we part company?
What happens when you change agent or start managing yourself?
The agent's office stops being the right place to reach you, but tenants will keep using the last address they were given. So:
Give every tenant a new section 48 notice
Send it before or on the day the agent stops acting for you. Our section 48 template is ready to copy.
Ask the old agent to pass on post
Agree how long they will forward anything that still arrives for you, especially legal post.
Update everywhere else
Your deposit scheme, the Land Registry if you used the agent's address there, the PRS database once you have registered and your own templates. The guide to changing your landlord address has the full list.
If you change agent every few years, that is a lot of updating each time.
Is there a steadier alternative?
A correspondence address that belongs to you rather than your agent stays the same whoever manages the property. Your agent still deals with the tenants. Notices meant for you go to your own Landlord Address, where every item is logged and legal and official post is flagged to you the same working day. If you move from full management to managing yourself, nothing changes for your tenants. See landlords with letting agents.
If your agent handles everything and you plan to stay with them, you may not need us today. Compare your options and decide, or see every landlord address rule in one table.
Common questions
Does my agent have to accept notices for me?
Only if they agree to. Ask them to confirm it in writing, along with how quickly they will tell you when something arrives.
Can I give my agent's address to the Land Registry?
A care-of address is accepted, but you would need to change it again if you change agent. See your Land Registry address.
My agent sends my rent demands. Is that a problem?
Not in itself, but each written demand should carry your name and your own address, not only the agent's details.
Sources
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, section 48, legislation.gov.uk, checked 31 October 2026.
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, section 47, legislation.gov.uk, checked 31 October 2026.
- Addressing the issue: sections 47 and 48, Gatehouse Chambers, checked 31 October 2026.
- But that isn't what it says (Beitov Properties Ltd v Martin), Nearly Legal, checked 31 October 2026.
- The Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Written Statement of Terms etc and Information Sheet) (England) Regulations 2026, legislation.gov.uk, checked 31 October 2026.
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 1, legislation.gov.uk, checked 31 October 2026.
- Get ready to register, GOV.UK Housing Hub, checked 31 October 2026.
- Housing (Tenancy Deposits) (Prescribed Information) Order 2007, article 2, legislation.gov.uk, checked 31 October 2026.
- Practice guide 55: address for service, HM Land Registry, checked 31 October 2026.