What are my rights as a private tenant?

 16th April 2019

The great news is that in the UK tenant rights are clearly defined in law. In many circumstances a tenants rights, and responsibilities, will be contained within their tenancy agreement. Here are your rights as a private tenant, in a nutshell.

Tenants rights UK

• Tenants have the right to reside in a safe property, maintained to a good state of repair
• Tenants have the right to have their deposit returned at the end of their tenancy, assuming they have kept to the terms of their tenancy agreement
• Tenants whose tenancy began after 2007 and have an assured short-hold tenancy agreement, have the right to have their deposit protected for the duration of their tenancy in a government approved scheme.
• Tenants have the right to challenge charges they believe are 'excessively high'
• Tenants have the right to know the identity of their landlord, although they may not necessarily deal directly with the landlord
• Tenants have the right to right to live in their property undisturbed
• Tenants have the right to access the property's energy performance certificate
• Tenants are protected in law from unfair rent increases and unfair eviction
• Tenants who have a fixed term tenancy of more than 36 months have the right to a written tenancy agreement
• Tenants have the right to 24 hours notice before their landlord enters the property, unless it's an emergency requiring instant access.

In addition your landlord is required to:

• Insure the property
• Arrange necessary repairs and pay for them
• Follow legal procedures for any eviction
• Supply operating instructions
• Install smoke detectors

Responsibilities as a UK private tenant

Tenants' responsibilities vary according to the agreement and whether or not the property is multi-occupancy, but will generally include:

• Allowing your landlord or managing agency reasonable access to the property as outline in your rights
• Taking care of the property during your tenancy
• Paying rent on time, even if you're in dispute with the landlord
• Paying any other charges included in your tenancy agreement such as council tax, utility bills, TV licence charges
• Paying for any damage caused by you or visitors you have invited into the property.

If we've made it sound like nobody should ever have any difficulty with their tenancy, let's just say that landlords vary in their willingness and ability to engage with the rights of a private tenant. Overall though, tenants' rights exist to give the tenant a straightforward private tenancy and tenants' responsibilities exist to give landlords peace of mind about their tenants.

At DEU Estates we take both the rights and responsibilities of tenants very seriously, going out of our way to ensure that our landlords enjoy trouble-free rentals and their tenants benefit from clear information, excellent service and the ability to engage with a lettings team that is prompt to respond, courteous and committed to ensuring every private tenancy is a pleasure for both landlord and tenants. Ready to move? Let us help you find the tenancy that's perfect for your needs.