This guide is for people who are renting a home privately under an assured shorthold tenancy, either direct from a landlord or through a letting agency. Most of it will also apply if you are in a shared property but in certain cases, your rights and responsibilities will vary. Seek your permission to access your home and give at least 24 hours’ notice of proposed visits for things like repairs. Those visits should take place at reasonable times – neither the landlord nor the letting agent is entitled to enter your home without your express permission.

Report any need for repairs to your landlord. Failure to report the need for repairs could be a breach of your tenancy agreement. In extreme circumstances there may be a risk to your deposit if a minor repair turns into a major problem because you did not report it. There are often legal protections in place for the most common problems that you may experience during the tenancy. The following links will tell you what they are or where to look for help. Look for landlords who belong to an accreditation scheme. Accreditation schemes provide training and support to landlords in fulfilling their legal and ethical responsibilities. Your local council can advise you about accreditation schemes operating in your area.Use a Tab character if you want to format the list item with hanging indentation, like Word applies to bulleted lists. Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Landlords must make sure there is at least one smoke alarm on every floor used as living accommodation, and carbon monoxide alarms in all rooms that have a fixed combustion appliance and are used as living accommodation. You may be able to take your landlord to court yourself if you think the property is not fit for habitation, under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. The court can make the landlord carry out repairs and pay you compensation. You may also be able to take your landlord to court if they do not carry out some repairs. For more information, please see Shelter’s advice on section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Reputable agents are often accredited through a professional body such as the Guild of Property Professionals, Propertymark, Safeagent, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors or the UK Association of Letting Agents.

Pay any other bills that you are responsible for on time, such as council tax, gas, electricity and water bills. If you pay the gas or electricity bills, you can choose your own energy supplier. Look after the property. Get your landlord’s permission before attempting repairs or decorating. It’s worth getting contents insurance to cover your possessions too, because the landlord’s insurance won’t cover your things.

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Carry out most repairs. If something is not working, report it to your landlord or agent as soon as you can. Houses in multiple occupation are usually properties where 3 or more unrelated people share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom.