Tenants’ Rights & Responsibilities

This information is a brief summary of the rights and responsibilities of tenants.

Responsibilities

• Make sure you understand your tenancy agreement and stick to it
• Don’t leave your home empty for long periods
• Keep up to date with your rent
• Pay your bills and service charges
• Take care of your home and report any repairs to your landlord
• Do not take in a lodger or sub let without checking with your landlord whether you need permission
• Be a good neighbour
• Dispose of your household waste in the correct manner. If you are not sure which wheelie bin to use or when the collections are, ask your landlord or contact the council.
• Be responsible for your household and visitors
• Give your landlord access when necessary
• End your tenancy properly

Rights

• Your  landlord must maintain the structure and exterior of the property
• Your  landlord must deal with problems with water, gas and electricity
• Your  landlord must carry out most repairs
• You must be given at least 24 hours notice of any visits from your landlord or the landlord’s agents
• Your landlord must allow you quiet enjoyment of the property and not harass you in any way
• If your landlord is seeking to end your tenancy they must follow the correct legal procedure; they cannot illegally evict you by entering the property and changing the locks
• Your landlord must register your deposit with one of the approved tenancy deposit schemes

As a tenant you should always try to resolve any issues directly with your landlord or his agent first.

If necessary you can seek advice from your local Citizens Advice Bureau or your local council. The national housing and homelessness advice service is provided by Shelter who can be contacted on 0808 800 4444 or via their website – see Useful links.

You can find information on the following in the Finding a home – Renting Property in the Private Sector page:

• Types of tenancies
• Rent deposit
• Notice to leave
• Retaliatory eviction

You may also be eligible for benefits to assist you paying for your rent – see the Council tax and benefits section

In addition, further information is available on various external websites – see links below:

• Shelter
• Citizens Advice
• Guide for tenants – Gov.uk
• Mortgage repossessions – protection of tenants
• Tenancy Deposit – Gov.uk
• How to Rent – Gov.uk
• Which? Renting a home
• Guide for tenants – Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018