A guide to renting privately

A landlord has a legal obligation to:

• maintain the structure and exterior of the property
• ensure the property is free from serious hazards from the start of and throughout your tenancy
• fit smoke alarms on every floor and carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with appliances using gas or solid fuels, and make sure they are working at the start of your tenancy. If they are not there, ask your landlord to install them
• deal with any problems with the water, electricity and gas supply
• maintain any appliances and furniture they have supplied
• carry out most repairs. If something is not working, report it to your landlord or agent as soon as you can
• arrange an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe engineer (where there are any gas appliances)
• arrange a 5-yearly electrical safety check by a qualified and competent person (this applies to new tenancies from 1 July 2020 and existing tenancies from 1 April 2021)
• seek your permission to access your home and give at least 24 hours’ notice of proposed visits for things like repairs and 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
• get a licence for the property if it is a licensable property
• ensure the property is at a minimum of EPC energy efficiency band E (unless a valid exemption applies)

Find out about our multiple occupation (HMO) standards (PDF, 438.92KB)

Find out about our enforcement policy (PDF, 277.82 KB)

The Council's Civil Penalty Policy (PDF, 447.73 KB)