Tenant Responsibilities

Your Responsibilities As a Tenant

Your number 1 responsibility is to pay your rent in full and on time. Not doing so would put you in breach of your tenancy agreement and at risk of losing your home.

Look after the property

Keep it clean, and take care of any furniture and appliances. Don’t attempt any repairs or decorating without first contacting your Landlord or Agent to seek permission and guidance.  If you notice any issues contact your Landlord/Agent to arrange repair. Not reporting minor issues that turn into major problems can be a risk to your deposit.

In an emergency situation (out of office hours) for instance a pipe has burst, or the boiler has stopped working follow our guide on how to get help.

Regularly test smoke alarms

Get familiar with how the boiler and major appliances work. Find out where the stop cock, fuse box and any meters are located. Much better to know now, than wait for an emergency to try and find them. Ask your Landlord or Agent if you need to.

Last but not least be considerate to the neighbours. Anti-social behaviour could get you evicted, so just be considerate of the neighbours.

You might also want to check out our short guide on dealing with common maintenance issues

Your Landlord’s Responsibilities

Your Landlord/Agent has responsibilities to you as a paying tenant:

  • Maintain the structure and exterior of the property.
  • Insure the building to cover any damage from flood or fire.
  • Install smoke alarms on each floor.
  • Fit carbon monoxide alarms in rooms using solid fuels (coal or wood for example)
  • Deal with problems related to water, electricity and gas supply.
  • Maintain appliances and furniture they have supplied.
  • Carry out most repairs. If something is not working, report it to the landlord (or their agent) as soon as you can.
  • Arrange an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe engineer (where there are any gas appliances).
  • Give a minimum of 24 hours notice of visits for repairs or maintenance.

  • Get a licence for the property, if it is a licensable property. This applies to properties where you rent a room in a shared house known as HMOs.