Tenants' Rights & Responsibilities
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 their 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. Contact details are on their website - see link below.
You can find information on types of tenancies, rent deposit, notice to leave and retaliatory eviction on our Private Renting page.
You may also be eligible for benefits to assist you paying for your rent - see the Benefits and Council Tax pages.
In addition, further information is available on various external websites in the links below.
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