Landlord Responsibilities

Property Maintenance

• The landlord should be responsible for the structural safety of the property.

• They should ensure that the property is and remains in a state fit for human habitation. The definition of this can be found within the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.

• They should also ensure that the furniture, Fixtures and Fittings are compliant with legislation. 

As set out in section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (as amended by the Housing Act 1988), the landlord should keep in repair the following: 

• The structure and exterior of the property (including drains, gutters, and external pipes). 

• The proper working order the installations in the property for the supply of water, gas and electricity. 

• Any health and safety hazards (see list of examples below)

• The proper working order the installations in the property for space heating and heating water. 

Health and Safety

The landlord is responsible for keeping the property free from any of these following hazards: 

• Damp and mould - must deal with any disrepair caused by damp and mould 

• Rats, mice and other pests - must carry out the necessary repairs to stop pests from getting inside the property. 

• Gas safety - must arrange gas safety checks every year. 

• Fire safety - must install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms where needed. 

• Electrical installations and appliances. They must ensure that the wiring, plug sockets and any other electrical appliances they provide are safe. 

If a tenant has had to make payments for repairs that the landlord was responsible for (listed above) the landlord should repay them. The landlord must also compensate the tenant if they have paid any other charges for the property that are outside the liability of the tenant.

Quiet Enjoyment

The landlord must allow the tenant to quietly possess and enjoy the property during the tenancy, without unlawful interruption.

Tenant Responsibilities

The biggest responsibility as a tenant will be the look after the property and maintaining it at the same condition as when you moved in. This includes: 

• Keeping the property reasonably clean 

• Safety checking your own electrical appliances 

• Keeping the garden or outside areas in a reasonable state 

• Carrying out minor maintenances in the property, such as changing the light bulb or smoke alarm batteries 

You are also responsible for repairing: 

• Any furnitures or appliances that you own 

• Any damaged caused by you or your guests 

• Or other minor repairs that might be listed in your tenancy agreement 

However, keep in mind that you might have to pay for a repair problem you caused, even if your landlord would normally be responsible. Your landlord could ask you to pay repair costs for things like blocked drains, pipes or toilets if you did not take reasonable care to keep them free of blockages. But as a tenant, you should not be responsible for normal wear and tear in the property.  

Finally, as a tenant, you are also responsible for notifying the landlord of any repair that they need to carry out in the property.  

Access to your home

As a tenant, you must allow access to the landlord or anyone acting on their behalf to enter your home at reasonable times, for inspecting the property's condition or carrying out repairs. 

It's important to know that you are entitled to at least 24 hours of written notice, before anyone can enter. And if the time is not suitable to you, you can always suggest a better time. 

Bills

Unless specified in you tenancy agreement, most private rented property requires the tenant to be responsible for paying the utility bills. This can include, gas, electricity, water, Wi-Fi etc. Most student halls, both UAL and private halls should be all-inclusive of these bills.  

TV Licence

If you watch or record live TV on any channels or services, or if you use a BBC iPlayer, then you will need to get a TV licence. You can be fined up to £1000 if you watch any live TV without a licence. 

You do not need a TV Licence to watch: 

• streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus 

• on-demand TV through services like All 4 and Amazon Prime Video 

• videos on websites like YouTube 

• videos or DVDs 

A TV Licence costs £174.50 (£58.50 for black and white TV sets) for both homes and businesses. Apply for a TV Licence here. 

Council Tax

Council tax is a fee paid to your local authority for local services and maintenance. Council tax is registered to your property and is the responsibility of the occupier, not the landlord or owner. 

If you are a full-time student, you will likely be exempt from paying council tax on your property. However, it is your responsibility as the tenant to notify your council if you believe you are exempt. You also may not be exempt from council tax if you live with other people. 

We have a complete article dedicated to council tax, which you can find linked below.

Council Tax