Landlords responsibilities
As a landlord its essential that you know what your responsibilities are.
Landlords are responsible for:
All repairs and maintenance of property / utilities
A Landlord should ensure that a property is fit for living in and if there is any damage to ensure its repaired ASAP. If the damage was caused by a tenant they can be charged for it, although this excludes everyday wear and tear. Landlords should also make sure that all utilities are in good working order such as plumbing and heating. All of the properties gas appliances and piping should be checked once a year by a Corgi registered engineer. Make repairs in a reasonable time.
Making sure that the property is habitable and safe
This covers a mixture of things which need to be in place before a tenant moves and maintained while they are living in the property.
A landlord should ensure that:
- the property is clean and safe when a tenant first moves in.
- the property is safe and secure with all locks and alarms installed in full working order.
- the building is safe and sound.
- any fabrics or furnishings in the house meet any regulations e.g that they are fire resistant.
Returning deposits
A landlord should return a tenants deposit at the end of their tenure. If the landlord has not suffered any financial losses then the deposit should be returned in full.
To read more about tenancy deposits click here
Give tenants due notice for eviction
It's illegal for a landlord to evict a tenant without notice given. If you need to evict a tenant for any reason we advise you seek legal action to make sure you do so within the boundaries of the law.
Give notice for property visits.
A landlord is able to do property visits, but should give at least 24-48 hours notice, and should not visit too often. In other words he should leave tenets to live in their home in peace. You can read more about a landlords right to access here.
Comply with the new Tenancy deposit rules
Under new laws which came in into force in April 2007 all deposits taken by landlords must be protected by the new tenancy deposit scheme. The new scheme only applies to assured short-hold tenancies.
You can read all about the new tenancy deposit scheme here.
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