‘Rent in advance’ is not an accurate expression?

‘Rent in advance’ is not an accurate expression?

0:01 AM, 3rd February 2025, About 3 hours ago

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I am always frustrated by the expression ‘rent in advance’ which is now part of discussions around the Renters’ Rights Bill. Rent is due at the point of use, i.e. the day a tenant starts to ‘use’ the property on the date stipulated in the tenancy agreement. You would not walk into a shoe shop, buy a pair of shoes and then say that you will pay for them, when you have worn them for a month!

Surely, this should apply to rent in exactly the same way? Tenants are essentially paying for the use of a property, month by month, and therefore payment is due when they begin using it.

The expression ‘rent in advance’ somehow sounds as though landlords are getting money up front before they are entitled to it, and promulgates the current view that landlords are the greedy scum of the earth, which is so frustrating and dispiriting.

I wish we could come up with a better expression, maybe to say that rent falls due ‘at point of use’ or similar? Any ideas from the Property118 community?

Thanks,

Annabel


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