Tenant rights and responsibilities
Contents
Overview
As a private tenant you have rights and responsibilities during your tenancy including paying rent, doing some repairs and the maintenance of the property.
Rent
Paying your rent
You must pay your rent on time and in full. You will be at risk of losing your tenancy if you do not pay your rent, skip payments or pay only some of the rent due.
Increases to your rent
If your landlord wishes to increase the amount of rent you pay for the property then they must provide you with fair and adequate notice. The period of notice will depend on how often you pay your rent, i.e weekly or monthly.
Your landlord's details
If you pay a weekly rent then your landlord's name and address should be in the rent book, which the landlord must provide.
If the landlord is a company, you have the right to know the name and address of each of the company directors and the company secretary.
You must ask the landlord, their agent or the person who collects the rent, for this information in writing. Failure to provide this information is a criminal offence and could result in a fine.
You can ask the person who receives the rent, or the landlord's agent, in writing, for the landlord's name and address, and you are entitled by law to get that information within 21 days unless there is a reasonable excuse for it not being given.
Repairs and maintenance
Your landlord is usually responsible for making repairs to your property once you have informed them of the problem. It is important to report any problems you have directly to your landlord or agent at the first sign of a problem.
If you have not done this, you will be asked to report your complaint to your landlord as they should be given the opportunity to put matters right for you before the Council steps in.
After your landlord has assessed what repairs are required, it is important that you make every effort to allow access to your property to the landlord or any contractors who they have instructed, so they can carry out the repairs.
Delays in carrying out repairs can cause further damage, cost time and money and cause added stress.
If you don't give your landlord access to the property when they're trying to complete the statutory obligations, for example servicing gas appliances or testing electrical installations, then the landlord may consider taking legal action or requesting help from the Council to resolve this.