This post was last updated on October 12th, 2021 at 02:26 pm
Although most landlord responsibilities are laid out in the tenancy agreement, unless using a plain English tenancy agreement, the legal terms used can make deciphering your responsibilities somewhat of a challenge – even for legal boffs!
Before entering into a tenancy agreement, the landlord should go through each section with the tenant.
What are landlord responsibilities during a tenancy?
During a tenancy, a landlord is responsible for the exterior of the property including:
Doors and window
Walls and roofing
All gutters, drains and pipes
Garden walls, gates and fences
Gardens and patios – Although, in some cases, tenants are happy to take on this responsibility.
A landlord also has specific obligations within the property and these include:
Interior electrical wiring and electrical sockets.
Radiators, water tanks and boilers.
Baths, basins, sinks and toilets.
If there’s a gas supply then landlord responsibilitiesinclude a gas safety certificate every 12 months by a GasSafe registered engineer.
Both the landlord and tenant are bound to the terms of the tenancy agreement. However, there are occasions where even if the landlord has included certain tenant responsibilities, the tenant is not obligated to carry them out.
This may include:
When the landlord states that the maintenance of a gas boiler or appliance is the responsibility of the tenant. Under no circumstances should this responsibility fall on the tenant. The landlord should ensure that a thorough check has been carried out on all gas appliances and boilers. He should also have a landlord’s Gas Safety Certificate of which the tenant should receive a copy.
It is also highly unusual that a tenant should be expected to completely redecorate the property at the end of their agreement. If the interior walls and ceiling of the property have been kept in good repair by the tenant and there is no mention of complete redecoration in the agreement then a tenant is not obligated to redecorate. The landlord has no right to withhold their deposit.
Landlord responsibilities towards the deposit
The deposit paid by the tenant at the start of their tenancy agreement is usually the equivalent to 1 month’s rent (maximum of 5 weeks’ rent). By law, it is a landlord’s responsibility to secure the deposit in a holding account with the Deposit Protection Service or DPS. On vacating the rented property a tenant will need to apply to the DPS for the return of their deposit and a landlord has no right to withhold a deposit without good reason.
However, there are some circumstances under which the landlord has a right to withhold some or even all the tenant’s deposit. This may include an occasion where the tenant had caused damage to the property or furnishings belonging to the landlord and had not repaired or replaced the items.
A landlord cannot withhold part or all of the tenant’s deposit for general wear and tear of the property.
Stay on top of all your landlord responsibilities with our free Landlord Checklist below:
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Landlord responsibilities when letting a property
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Landlord responsibilities are laid out in the agreement. There are situations where you will need to know the law. Read on learn more.
Landlord responsibilities when letting a property
This post was last updated on October 12th, 2021 at 02:26 pm
Although most landlord responsibilities are laid out in the tenancy agreement, unless using a plain English tenancy agreement, the legal terms used can make deciphering your responsibilities somewhat of a challenge – even for legal boffs!
Before entering into a tenancy agreement, the landlord should go through each section with the tenant.
What are landlord responsibilities during a tenancy?
During a tenancy, a landlord is responsible for the exterior of the property including:
A landlord also has specific obligations within the property and these include:
What are tenant responsibilities during tenancy?
The tenant is responsible for keeping the interior of the property and any furnishings clean and well maintained.
This includes the repair of:
Related article: Tenant Rights When Renting Property In 2021
The tenancy agreement
Both the landlord and tenant are bound to the terms of the tenancy agreement. However, there are occasions where even if the landlord has included certain tenant responsibilities, the tenant is not obligated to carry them out.
This may include:
Landlord responsibilities towards the deposit
The deposit paid by the tenant at the start of their tenancy agreement is usually the equivalent to 1 month’s rent (maximum of 5 weeks’ rent). By law, it is a landlord’s responsibility to secure the deposit in a holding account with the Deposit Protection Service or DPS. On vacating the rented property a tenant will need to apply to the DPS for the return of their deposit and a landlord has no right to withhold a deposit without good reason.
However, there are some circumstances under which the landlord has a right to withhold some or even all the tenant’s deposit. This may include an occasion where the tenant had caused damage to the property or furnishings belonging to the landlord and had not repaired or replaced the items.
A landlord cannot withhold part or all of the tenant’s deposit for general wear and tear of the property.
Stay on top of all your landlord responsibilities with our free Landlord Checklist below:
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