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Renting Terms Explained: pcm, pw, APT, Holding Deposit and More

pcm means per calendar month and pw means per week. To turn a weekly rent into a monthly one, multiply by 52 and divide by 12, so £250 pw is £1,083.33 pcm, not £1,000. This glossary explains the other terms you will see in UK rental listings and contracts, and which nation each legal term applies to.

Rent and money terms

pcm (per calendar month)
The rent for one month. Most UK listings use this. See how to convert weekly rent to monthly.
pw (per week)
The rent for one week. A month is longer than four weeks, so never multiply weekly rent by four to get a monthly figure.
pppw (per person per week)
Common in student and shared lets. It is one person’s weekly share, not the rent for the whole home.
Bills included
Some or all household bills are in the rent. Check exactly which ones, such as energy, water, broadband or council tax. Our guide to bills when renting lists what to look for.
Rent in advance
Rent paid before the period it covers. In England, you can now be asked for a maximum of one month’s rent in advance, and only after you sign the agreement. See can a landlord ask for rent in advance?
Pro rata rent
Rent for part of a month, for example if you move in mid-month. See pro rata rent for a part month.
Form 4A
The form a landlord in England must use to raise the rent on an assured tenancy. They can raise it only once a year, not in the first 12 months, and must give at least two months’ notice. See how much can a landlord increase rent?
Rental bidding
In England, a landlord cannot accept or encourage offers above the advertised rent.

Tenancy types

APT (assured periodic tenancy)
The standard private tenancy in England since 1 May 2026. Most existing assured shorthold tenancies became APTs on that date. An APT rolls on with no end date.
AST (assured shorthold tenancy)
The main private tenancy in England before 1 May 2026. Most ASTs automatically became APTs on that date.
Section 21
The old no-fault eviction route in England. Tenants can no longer be evicted using it.
Information Sheet
A government document landlords in England had to give existing tenants before 31 May 2026, explaining the new rules.
PRT (private residential tenancy)
The usual private tenancy in Scotland if yours started on or after 1 December 2017. It has no end date.
Notice to leave
In Scotland, the notice a landlord must send to end a private residential tenancy. It must give the reason, called an eviction ground, and a correct notice is needed before the First-tier Tribunal can grant an eviction order. See notice to leave a rented home.
Occupation contract and contract-holder
In Wales, occupation contracts replaced tenancies and licences on 1 December 2022. The person renting is called the contract-holder. Private renters usually have a standard contract.
Written statement
In Wales, the landlord must give you a written statement of your occupation contract within 14 days of the date you move in.
HMO (house in multiple occupation)
In England and Wales, a home rented by at least 3 people who are not from one household and who share facilities like a bathroom or kitchen.

Deposits and checks before you move in

Holding deposit
A payment to reserve a home while checks are done. In England it can be up to one week’s rent. See holding deposit rules.
Tenancy deposit
Money held against unpaid rent or damage. In England, the cap is five weeks’ rent if the annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks’ if it is £50,000 or more. See the five weeks’ rent deposit explained.
Deposit protection
In England and Wales, your landlord must put your deposit in a government-backed scheme within 30 days of getting it. The schemes are the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits and Tenancy Deposit Scheme. See how to check your deposit is protected.
Referencing
The checks a landlord or agent runs on you, usually covering income, past renting and credit. See how long tenant referencing takes.
Guarantor
Someone who agrees to pay your rent if you do not. See renting with a guarantor.
Right to Rent
In England, landlords must check that you, and any other adults living in the home, have the right to rent property in England.
Inventory
A record of the home’s condition and contents when you move in. Shelter says it should note the age, condition and cleanliness of items. Our moving-in checklist covers this.

Living there and leaving

Fair wear and tear
Normal deterioration from everyday use. Shelter says your landlord should not take money from your deposit for it. See fair wear and tear.
Periodic (rolling) tenancy
A tenancy that runs from one rent period to the next with no fixed end date. In England, it is no longer possible to have an assured tenancy with an end date.
Break clause
A term that lets either side end a fixed-term agreement early. Fixed terms have ended for most private tenancies in England, so break clauses now matter mainly for agreements outside the assured tenancy system.
Tenant’s notice (notice to quit)
The written notice you give to end your tenancy. On an APT in England, you give two months’ notice in writing, timed to the rent due date or the day before, and keep paying rent until it ends.
Rent arrears
Rent that is overdue and unpaid. See can a landlord take unpaid rent from a deposit?

Worked example (fictional)

A flat is listed at £250 pw. Here is what that means each month.

Calculation Result
Correct: £250 × 52 ÷ 12 £1,083.33 pcm
Wrong: £250 × 4 £1,000
Difference each month £83.33

If you budget using the wrong figure, you would be £83.33 short every month.

Put the terms into numbers

Once you know what a listing means, run the figures. Use the FigurePath renting calculators to check affordability, deposits, rent splits and moving costs in one place.

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Report a possible error.