In the same way that landlords have certain responsibilities to uphold when they rent or lease a property, as a tenant you have responsibilities as well.
As a tenant you must:
- take good care of the property (e.g. turn off the water at the mains if you’re away in cold weather)
- pay the agreed rent, even if repairs are needed or you are in a dispute with your landlord
- pay other charges as agreed such as Council Tax or any other utility bills for the property
- repair or pay for any damage caused by you, your family, friends or visitors
- report any repairs to your landlord that are needed
- only sublet a property if the tenancy agreement or your landlord allows it
You must give access to the property to inspect it or carry out repairs when required. However, you should always be given at least 24 hours’ notice and visits should be at a reasonable time of day, unless it’s an emergency and where immediate access is needed.
Looking After Your Home:
There are conditions in every tenancy agreement that state you must use your home in a ‘tenant-like’ way; this is the law and it applies whether you have a written or oral tenancy agreement. Using your home in a tenant-like way means:
- doing minor repairs yourself, such as changing fuses and light bulbs
- keeping your home reasonably clean
- not causing any damage to the property and making sure your visitors don’t cause any damage
- using any fixtures and fittings properly, such as not blocking a toilet by flushing incorrect items.
At PropertyLoop we are big on treating others around us as we would like to be treated, and we expect the same from our tenants. This doesn’t just mean being nice to friends and family, we ask that you are respectful of your neighbours and other tenants. This includes:
- Not causing undue noise or nuisance to neighbours or the neighbourhood.
- Not leaving rubbish or bins out on days that are not collection days, especially in shared areas where it is likely to cause problems for others.
- Telling your neighbours if you are having a party or gathering and keeping noise to a reasonable level. It’s also respectful to ask visitors to keep the noise down when they leave.
- Controlling pets and picking up their mess; this includes not leaving dogs to bark all day.
- Being aware of neighbours with young children, who are likely to go to bed early.
- Keeping radio, television, musical instrument and audio noise within the times set out in your Tenancy Agreement.