Private tenants
Find out more about your rights and responsibilities as a private tenant.
Your tenancy agreement sets out your legal rights and responsibilities as a tenant.
You’ll receive a copy of the agreement when you sign up to your tenancy and you should check the specific rights and responsibilities listed. As it’s a legal document, you should keep it safe in case you need it in the future.
Periodic tenancies
These are month-to-month contracts based on the terms of your previous agreement.
Joint tenancies
A joint tenancy allows more than one person to rent a home. Under a joint tenancy, a single rent is paid and all the named tenants have joint rights and responsibilities. This means that if there's a breach by one person, it results in a breach by all tenants.
Rights and responsibilities
Rights
Although the property is owned by us, it’s your home and you have the right to live in it without interruption from us, as long as you keep to the terms of your tenancy agreement.
Responsibilities
There are a number of things you agree to as part of your tenancy agreement, such as:
- paying your rent and service charges on time
- treating your neighbours with consideration and respect
- dealing with pests, such as mice or rats.
Repairs
We’re responsible for the structure of your property, communal areas, and any fixtures and fittings we supplied. For example, we’ll look after:
- plumbing
- electric heating
- communal areas, like entrances or lifts
- roofs, gutters, and drains
- keeping your home secure and weatherproof.
You’re responsible for interior decoration, looking after your garden, and maintaining any goods you bring into your home. This means you have to look after things like door handles, locks, and blocked sinks.
