How do I get my holding deposit back from OpenRent?

It depends where the application got to. If the landlord takes no action within **96 hours** of you placing it, OpenRent automatically refunds you. If the landlord rejects the application, or cancels it before contracts are signed, the deposit is returned in full. Once the landlord has accepted and you then withdraw, the deposit can be forfeited to them under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, at that point OpenRent will only ask the landlord to return it voluntarily. Refunds go back via the original payment method, so a card payment returns to that card.

Is there a cancellation fee on OpenRent?

No. OpenRent's own help centre states all products are one-off fees including VAT, with no ongoing subscription costs and no percentage of rental income. There is no exit fee, no renewal fee and no contract-signing fee, and free advertising requires no payment details at all. What you can lose is money already spent: the £29 portal advertising fee, the £58 Advertising + Rent Now bundle or the £70 Rightmove upgrade are not automatically refunded when you pull the listing early, and advertising runs a maximum of four months regardless of when you stop it.

How do I cancel a Rent Now application?

Landlords cancel from the dashboard: click **Action**, then **Cancel / Reject Application Options** (shown as 'See Cancel Options' on the application page later in the flow). That messages the tenant, cancels their Rent Now application and refunds the holding deposit. Your listing goes live again on OpenRent immediately and free of charge, with the portals, Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket, taking around 3 to 6 hours to re-publish. If you'd rather claim the holding deposit because the tenant pulled out, you have to contact OpenRent to action a forfeit; it isn't a self-serve button.

I need a refund of my holding deposit

Email info@openrent.co.uk with the property URL, the date and amount you paid, and the exact status of the application. Say clearly whether the landlord had accepted your application at the moment you withdrew, that single fact decides the outcome. If the property was let to someone else, or the landlord went silent past the 96-hour mark, quote OpenRent's own rule that no landlord action within 96 hours triggers an automatic refund. If you never confirmed a withdrawal and OpenRent cancelled after a mere query, say so; several reviewers report exactly that pattern.

Does OpenRent have a phone number for customer service?

Not one they publish on their own site, support is routed through the help centre, the on-site contact form and email. The Property Ombudsman's member directory lists **02033222733** (+44 20 3322 2733) for OpenRent Ltd, but landlords in OpenRent's own community forum report reaching an automated service that cuts off rather than a person. Practically, email info@openrent.co.uk is the channel that produces results and a paper trail; OpenRent staff replying to public reviews routinely direct people there and confirm refunds by email afterwards.

Can I get a refund on OpenRent advertising I paid for?

There's no published refund window for the £29 portal advertising fee or the £58 Advertising + Rent Now bundle, and no pro-rata credit for unused time. Reviewers describe being refused after paying for advertising that under-delivered, but also describe refunds being issued once the complaint was escalated publicly and by email. So it's discretionary, not automatic. Write to info@openrent.co.uk with the listing URL, the payment date and what you actually received (days live, enquiries, whether the listing was removed without notice), and ask for it to be logged as a formal complaint.

How can I cancel a reference on OpenRent?

Cancel it from your dashboard rather than emailing. OpenRent's help centre says cancelling generates a confirmation email to both you and the tenant confirming the reference is cancelled, and **automatically applies the refund if eligible**, referencing costs £30 per reference and is charged to the landlord, never the tenant. Eligibility narrows once the referencing provider has started work, so cancel early. If the tenant simply never responded (prompt emails landing in junk is a recurring complaint), say that explicitly when you ask for the refund.

What if OpenRent ignores my cancellation or refund request?

Escalate in writing. Reply to info@openrent.co.uk asking for the matter to be handled under their internal complaints procedure and for a **final viewpoint letter**. OpenRent is a member of The Property Ombudsman for Lettings, which expects the internal process to conclude within eight weeks, mention that timeline, because it converts a stalled ticket into a deadline. Keep every message: the Ombudsman route needs your original written complaint and their final response. If you paid by credit card and the amount qualifies, your card issuer's chargeback or Section 75 process runs in parallel.

Does OpenRent auto-renew or charge a subscription?

No. OpenRent's help centre is explicit that all products are one-off fees including VAT, that there are no ongoing subscription costs, and that services are available standalone. Free advertising takes no payment details and carries no obligation to pay later. So there is nothing to 'unsubscribe' from and no renewal date to beat, the money at stake is either a one-off fee already paid or a holding deposit held in OpenRent's client funds account. Ongoing services like monthly Rent Collection are opt-in and deducted from rent, not billed to a card.

REFUND GUIDE

How to Get an OpenRent Holding Deposit Refund.

Here's what OpenRent actually owes you, what their policy quietly says, and how to escalate if they ignore the request.

Last verified 1 Sept 2026 against OpenRent’s own Terms · UK, US, and EU rights covered below

The short answer

Two very different money types sit on OpenRent, and the rules are not interchangeable. Tenant HOLDING DEPOSITS (one week's rent, paid through Rent Now) auto-refund if the landlord takes no action within 96 hours, and are refunded if the landlord rejects or cancels the application before contract signing; once the landlord has accepted and the tenant then pulls out, the deposit can be forfeited to the landlord under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, and OpenRent will only ask the landlord to return it voluntarily. LANDLORD SERVICE FEES (£29 portal advertising, the £58 Advertising + Rent Now bundle, £70 Rightmove upgrade) are one-off charges with no published refund window and no pro-rata credit for unused advertising time, refunds here happen case-by-case after a written complaint. REFERENCING (£30) is the exception: cancel it in your dashboard and an eligible refund is applied automatically. Nothing on OpenRent is a recurring subscription, so there is no renewal to stop.

Or let yoink chase the refund.

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What OpenRent actually says

“The landlord has 96 hours to accept or reject the holding deposit - if they take no action, we automatically refund the holding deposit.”
, verbatim from OpenRent’s terms

Pro-rata refund: noStatutory cooling-off: 14 days in UK + EU on new subs

How long does a OpenRent refund take?

Most merchants agree to a straightforward refund within 1 to 3 working days of a well-written email request. Once agreed, the money itself takes another 3 to 5 working days to land, that part is card-network processing and no merchant can skip it. If nothing has arrived 10 working days after a written “refund approved”, reply on the same thread asking for the ARN (acquirer reference number), which your bank can trace.

What you can claim

The law where you live is the strongest hook, lead with it when you contact the company.

United Kingdom

Section 75, Consumer Credit Act
Credit card issuer is jointly liable. £100-£30,000.
For UK credit-card charges between £100 and £30,000, your card issuer is jointly liable with OpenRent for any breach. Call your bank, say “Section 75 claim”, send evidence. Usually resolved in 2-4 weeks.
Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013
Full refund within the 14-day window.
Inside 14 days of starting any OpenRent subscription, you’re entitled to a full refund of any payment taken, no questions, no policy override.
Citizens Advice + Trading Standards
For repeated bad-faith refusals.
Free escalation lane: file with Citizens Advice (08082231133), they pass it to Trading Standards. Slow (8-12 weeks) but creates a paper trail OpenRent can’t ignore.

Worldwide

Card-issuer chargeback
Visa/Mastercard chargeback works everywhere they do.
Open a chargeback for “subscription not cancelled” or “services not as described”, your bank initiates, OpenRent has ~45 days to defend. Works regardless of where OpenRent is headquartered.
PayPal Buyer Protection
If you paid via PayPal, open a dispute.
PayPal’s Buyer Protection covers “item not as described”, applies to services that didn’t deliver. Resolution typically within 20 days.

Rights in other regions (United States, European Union)

United States

Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA)
Dispute any credit-card charge in writing within 60 days.
For US credit-card payments, the FCBA gives you 60 days from the statement date to dispute a OpenRent charge in writing. Your card issuer is required to investigate and may withhold the disputed amount during the process.

European Union

ECC-Net cross-border escalation
EU Consumer Centre network mediates against EU sellers.
If OpenRent is based in another EU country, your local European Consumer Centre will mediate the dispute for free. List of national contacts at commission.europa.eu.

The 4-step refund email

Email the right address
Use info@openrent.co.uk, the route yoink has verified actually gets read for OpenRent.
Use a clear subject line
Subject: Refund Request, [your account email]

Send this body

Hi OpenRent team,

I'm requesting a refund of the recent charge on my subscription, account [your account email].

Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, I'm entitled to cancel this contract by notice through the same channel it was formed in. Please confirm by reply that the refund will be processed to my original payment method.

Best,
[your name]

Wait 7-14 days, then escalate
If you haven’t heard back in 14 days, escalate via the regional route above, a card-issuer chargeback works in every market.

Refund FAQ for OpenRent

Yes. OpenRent's help centre points you to a deletion page at `openrent.co.uk/account/delete` (you'll be asked to log in first), and deletion removes your personal data in line with GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Two catches: if you later create a second account it may still be linked to the old one through non-personal data, and deletion is refused while you have an **active service**, an unended tenancy, a live reference, or an open supplier job. Cancel those first from your dashboard, then retry. Save any payment receipts before you delete; you'll need them for a refund claim.