Support
In this guide we try to answer your questions about our service.
1. Introduction
As this is a free guide, we cannot give ‘one-to-one’ support. However, in this article we will try to answer any problems or questions you may have about our service.
If anything is missing, let us know using the form at the bottom of the page.
Let us start with a few introductory points:
- The site only deals with the law in England UK – so if you are in Wales, Scotland, or America (for example), it will not help you.
- We have used he/his throughout – this is to make it easier to write. We realise that there are both male and female landlords and renters!
Please now read on:
2. I have a question but you do not have an answer to it
First – it may be that your question IS answered, but that it is worded a different way. So try searching against various relevant words and phrases which relate to your question and see what pops up.
Take a look at our free articles too – your issue may be answered by one of the articles even if we have not added it as a ‘question’.
However, the Renters Guide will always be a bit of a work in progress. We cannot guarantee to answer all questions.
We are adding new questions all the time though. So if you cannot find an answer that helps you, feel free to submit this to us using the form here.
If we add your question to the site, we will try to let you know if you leave your email address (although this cannot be guaranteed).
Note also that we have a solicitor’s telephone advice service (cost £200) which will give you a 30-minute discussion with a specialist housing solicitor. Find out more about this here.
3. What can I do if I have a problem accessing content or buying a product
Sometimes when you have a problem, it can be resolved by clearing your cache.
Clearing your cache
When you visit a web page, your internet browser will normally keep a copy of it in its memory. Then if you revisit that page within a certain period of time, instead of actually going to the webpage, your browser will show you the page from its memory. This is known as ‘caching’ and the stored files are sometimes known as ‘temporary internet files’.
This is normally good as it means the page will load a lot faster (which is why this is done). However, it can cause a problem if the page has changed in the meantime – you will only be seeing the old version of the page. Or if you are buying something and have to go back and start again for some reason, your computer ‘cache’ may be displaying the wrong page, and things get in a muddle.
One quick way which sometimes works is to refresh the page (by clicking the refresh icon – a little circular arrow near to the address bar (usually on the left) at the top of your screen) while simultaneously holding down the shift key.
However, if you are still having the problem you may need to clear your cache – ie remove the temporary internet files and so forcing your computer to visit the real page again.
How you actually do this will depend on which internet browser you are using. The best thing to do is to search ‘how do I clear my cache?’ The search engine will normally be able to detect the internet browser you are using and will give instructions at the top of the screen.
Note that if you include ‘cookies’ when clearing your cache this will probably log you out of sites and you will need to log in again.
If the problem persists
Irritatingly some browsers seem determined to throw up the wrong page whatever you do. In that case, the best thing is to use a different browser. So if you are using Chrome, try using Firefox. Or use an ‘incognito’ or private page.
You can also try logging into the site with a completely different device, such as your tablet or laptop, if you are using your phone.
However, the temporary internet files will not hang around forever, and you will probably find that in a day or so they have gone and you will be able to view the page properly.
Always clear your cache and/or try using a different browser or incognito/private page before asking for help. This will resolve most problems.
But if clearing your cache is not working, or if you have another issue, let us know by completing our contact form below. We will try to get back to you within seven working days (hopefully sooner).
You will need to tell us the type of device you are using (ie is it an iPhone or a laptop), the internet browser you are using (e.g., Chrome or Safari, etc) and (if possible) your computer operating system.
Please also tell us the page you are having issues with, ideally giving us a link to the page, as otherwise we will be unable to help.