Tenants guide

Contents

• Overview
• Concerns before your tenancy starts
• Fees and upfront costs
• Help with your rent 
• Tenant responsibilities 
• Landlord responsibilities 
• Difficulties with your landlord
• Rent arrears 
• Housing standards
  
• Ending your tenancy
• Eviction
• Reporting concerns about a previous landlord

Tenant responsibilities

In brief, as a tenant you must:

• pay the rent on time
• consider your neighbours and understand that you are responsible for anyone visiting your property  
• keep the property in a good condition, ensuring your landlord is notified immediately if there are any repair issues. You can get more information from the Shelter website
• give your landlord two months’ notice to end your tenancy. You can do this at any time during your tenancy, but you must:
  • give your notice so the tenancy ends on a day when the rent is due or the day before the rent is due 
  • in writing, for example, by letter or email

Things a tenant should do:

• inform the landlord if you are going to be away from the property for any length of time
• keep the property adequately heated and ventilated to avoid mould and moisture build up
• notify the landlord if you have changed your telephone number
• allow your landlord to inspect the property at reasonable intervals
• allow access to carry out maintenance and repairs if you are given adequate notice
• allow for gas safety checks to be carried out

The Renters' Rights Act 2025

See our Tenants guide for information about how the Renters' Rights Act 2025 changes things.

You can find out more about the Renters' Rights Act on the Government’s Housing Hub. 

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