Familiarising yourself with these rights helps to ensure you’re living in a safe and comfortable living space.
If you need further advice about your tenancy rights, please contact us.
As part of your tenancy agreement, your landlord or letting agent should:
This includes:
Your landlord is responsible for maintaining the structure and exterior of the property, including drains, gutters, and essential access paths. They are also responsible for maintaining any appliances or furniture they supply.
Your landlords must ensure that gas appliances and flues are safely installed and maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer. They must provide a gas safety certificate at the start of the tenancy and within 28 days of each annual gas safety check if gas is used.
Your landlord must provide a valid EPC to you – and should do so at the earliest opportunity.
This gives an indication of running costs (bills for gas and electricity) and tells you the overall energy efficiency rating of the property. When advertising their property, landlords should also clearly display the energy rating. If their properties have EPC ratings of F or G, they should improve the rating (unless exempt) before renting them out for new tenancies.
Tenants can ask their landlords to make energy performance improvements based on the recommendations of the EPC.
Your property must have working smoke alarms on every living accommodation floor and carbon monoxide alarms in rooms using solid fuels. Your landlords must prove these alarms work at the start of your tenancy. You should then test regularly and replace batteries to make sure they protect you.
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) usually require additional fire safety measures like heat alarms, fire extinguishers and fire blankets.
Under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, landlords must have the property’s electrics checked every five years by a qualified professional. Your landlord must provide proof that the electric installations are safe at the start of your tenancy.
If you notice any potential hazards in your home, you should report them to your landlord or letting agent promptly. If your landlord doesn’t address these hazards in a reasonable timeframe, your local council can take action against them.
For more information on dealing with hazards or problems in your home, click here.
Landlords or letting agents should give at least 24 hours notice before visits, such as for repairs.
When you enter into a tenancy agreement, your landlord has specific obligations to safeguard your rights as a tenant. One right of yours is that they register your deposit with an approved scheme.
As a tenant, you may be asked to pay a deposit before moving into the property. For assured shorthold tenancies established since April 6 2007, your landlord must protect your deposit through a government-approved scheme.
Remember, the deposit remains your money.
Since June 1 2019, there are limits on the maximum amount your landlord can request as a tenancy deposit. It’s now capped at five weeks’ rent for annual rents below £50,000 and six weeks’ rent for properties with an annual rent of £50,000 or more.
Your landlord must protect your deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days from the start of your tenancy. You should obtain official information from your landlord about the chosen deposit protection scheme and understand the process for recovering your deposit at the end of the tenancy.
It’s good practice to keep this information in a secure place because you will need it later to ensure a smooth deposit return.
Remember, it is a tenant’s right to have your deposit held in an approved scheme and to be provided with official information.
For more information on your tenant rights and what you can do if you feel your landlord or letting agent is not meeting them, click here.
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