1. Fire regulations
Your landlord must ensure that you are as safe as possible in the event of a fire. This means that you must have an adequate escape route and, if applicable, access to fire extinguishers. You must also have a minimum of one smoke alarm on each floor. It is advisable to check out who is responsible for maintaining the smoke alarms before signing your tenancy agreement.
2. Appliances
All gas appliances must be tested each year and a Gas Safe certificate should be kept in the property to show that this is the case. Make sure that you ask your landlord to show you this before you sign your tenancy agreement.
Your landlord is also responsible for ensuring that electrical installations are not dangerous and any portable appliances supplied, such as toasters or kettles, need to be PAT tested each year.
3. Carbon monoxide
Your landlord must fit carbon monoxide alarms in any room where there is a solid fuel appliance. Gas boilers are not covered by these regulations, although it would be advisable to buy your own alarm to position near these, if your landlord refuses.
4. Infestations
Unwanted guests probably won’t be unusual during your student years but some could be more irksome than others, such as bedbugs, rats, and mice. Thankfully, if you get such an infestation, it is often your landlord’s job to sort out the problem, as long as you didn’t cause the issue yourself. When it comes to bedbugs, for example, the responsibility falls to the person who brought in the affected furniture.
Most infestations can be solved with the help of private companies or through individual actions but rat problems should be reported to your local authority.
5. Decorating
You will need to get written landlord permission before you decorate. Many will give this but may want you to return the property to the original condition before you leave.
Just be wary of spending too much money on things such as decorating, especially if you are only likely to be living in a property for a short time. Whilst it may be essential to ask your landlord to invest in good quality equipment to ensure that the plumbing in your property operates efficiently - and you can have a decent shower - changing walls from beige to blue isn’t normally an essential expenditure.
6. Landlord visits
Your landlord may own your property, but that doesn’t give him the right to just wander in whenever he wants to. In fact, he must give you a reasonable period of notice if he wants to inspect the property or carry out some repairs. Your tenancy agreement should say what this period is.
7. Accidents
You should report anything dangerous at the property to your landlord as soon as possible. In most cases, this will result in the problems being solved.
If you have an accident that you didn’t cause, you could seek legal advice in order to make a claim for compensation.
8. Evictions
Your landlord does have some legal rights when it comes to evicting you - but so do you. Whilst you can be evicted for not paying your rent or breaching your tenancy agreement, for example, there are still procedures that your landlord must adhere to in order to remove you from the property legally.
The procedures that must be followed will depend on the kind of tenancy agreement that you have, so it is important to seek legal advice if you are told you are being evicted.
9. Notice to leave
If your landlord decides that he wants you out of the property, he must notify you in a certain way, including particular warnings and information. How he gives you notice will, again, depend on the kind of tenancy agreement you have and the terms it contains. If you feel you are being unfairly treated, you can seek advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau.
If you want to vacate the property before the end of your contract, you may have to pay your rent for the remaining term, unless you can reach an arrangement with your landlord, or you can prove that your landlord has done something wrong, such as breaching the terms of your tenancy agreement.
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