Further Tenant Guidance
Good landlords should attract good tenants, and therefore it is important that you know your duties as tenants, as there is an element of 'it cuts both ways' with renting.
As a Tenant your rights include:
- To know the terms of the tenancy;
- To know the name and address of the landlord;
- To experience decent standards of repair in the property and safe accommodation;
- To be provided with proper notice if the landlord wishes to inspect the property;
- To be provided with proper notice if the landlord wants you to leave.
And your Landlord also has rights that include:
- To fix the terms of the agreement before the tenancy begins;
- To receive rent on the due date;
- To be advised of any necessary repairs;
- To be given proper notice from a tenant if he or she wishes to leave;
- To inspect the property by appointment.
What happens with landlords who do not rent out good accommodation?
Landlords who do not run their properties in an appropriate way, can face large fines if successfully prosecuted. These types of landlords and agents will not bepart of this Landlord Accreditation Scheme.
Councils want to make the private rented sector an attractive choice for tenants. They also want to help encourage and recognise good landlords so that they can concentrateon the handful of bad landlords still operating and giving the rented sector a poor reputation.
Did you know?
Licensing Shared Accommodation:
Certain types of accommodation require different levels of management and amenities. For instance if you live in a purpose built 1 bed flat, you wouldn’t need as many amenities as someone sharing a large house with 7 other people who didn’t know each other.
For houses which are three or more storey, and where 5 or more unrelated people share amenities such as kitchens and bathrooms, it is likely the landlord and property are required by law to have a licence (these properties are called Licensable Houses in Multiple Occupation [HMOs]). In addition some Councils run further licensing schemes that cover other types of houses. You should not be encouraging unscrupulous landlords, and should also not sell yourself short when renting, no matter how cheap the accommodation may seem. Staying in a licensed house, that is properly regulated means you will be staying in a safe, well managed property with the correct facilities.
Remember, HMO licences are legal requirements, whereas Landlord Accreditation is voluntary.
Deposits:
If your landlord or agent took a deposit off you, and your tenancy has started since 7 April 2007, they must have protected it by placing it in a government approved scheme. This will either be a custodial or insurance based scheme. Within 14 days of taking the deposit they must also have notified you how the deposit is being protected. For more information on the Tenancy Deposit Scheme and how this affects you go to: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TenancyDeposit/index.htm
More useful information for when you rent can be found in the downloads section