"Many spend years renting before they buy, so why don’t we equip renters with the financial knowledge they need to make that experience more positive?"
- Graham Hayward - Housing Hand
Most renters feel unprepared for the financial realities of renting, with new research from Housing Hand highlighting a significant gap in early financial education.
The findings come ahead of Talk Money Week (3–7 November 2025), the annual Money and Pensions Service campaign encouraging people across the UK to discuss their finances. Housing Hand’s data, summarised in the Understanding Renters in 2025 report, shows just how crucial these conversations are.
Those entering the rental sector for the first time often feel overwhelmed (25%), uncertain (22%), anxious (21%), scared (9%) or out of their depth (4%). Much of this stress is linked to limited knowledge of rental finances: 65% of renters are unaware of deposit-free rental schemes, 46% do not understand deposit protection schemes, and 37% do not know how to set up utility contracts. Alarmingly, 58% had no idea what to do if they were unable to pay rent.
“The average person buys their first home at age 33 — two years older than a decade ago,” said Graham Hayward, managing director of Housing Hand. “Many spend years renting before they buy, so why don’t we equip renters with the financial knowledge they need to make that experience more positive? The earlier we start talking about housing-related financial literacy, the more confident people can be when they enter the rental market.”
Renters themselves are keen for earlier financial guidance. According to the survey of 1,700 working professionals and students, 82% would have liked more financial education at school. Instead, most turn to websites (38%), family (31%) or friends (15%) for information on managing housing-related finances, while only 2% reported receiving relevant education at school.
“At present, just 5% of new renters report feeling excited and 4% feel happy when first looking for a home to rent,” said Jeremy Robinson, group founder and CEO of Housing Hand. “Talk Money Week presents the ideal opportunity to address financial knowledge gaps that could drive up these figures significantly. As the Renters’ Rights Bill returns to the House of Lords, can we please make renters’ financial knowledge a priority, too?”
