Advice for private landlords and tenants
The Homelessness Advice and Prevention Team offers an advice
service to tenants and landlords of privately rented accommodation,
explaining their rights and legal obligations.
We investigate allegations of illegal eviction and
harassment towards residential occupiers of privately rented
accommodation and can sometimes mediate between a tenant and a
landlord to resolve a dispute.
Help for private tenants
You can get advice on:
- Rent Increases
- Ending the tenancy
- Tenancy Agreements
- Deposits
- Access rights
- Illegal eviction
- Harassment
For example:
If you are having problems with your landlord, the team
will tell you what rights you have and will contact your landlord
for you.
You have certain rights in law as a tenant, including the right
to live in the property without interference. This means that your
landlord cannot come into the property without your permission. If
the landlord needs access to carry out repairs, they should
make arrangements with you and give you at least 24 hours
notice.
Your landlord cannot end your tenancy without serving a valid
notice. This applies if the end date on your tenancy agreement has
passed and you did not receive a notice at least eight weeks
before. If you do not leave the property at the end of the notice,
the landlord must go to the County Court and ask for a Court order
to evict you.
If you have received a notice from your landlord, he has
verbally asked you to leave or you want more information about your
rights, contact the Homelessness Advice and Prevention Team on
01695 577177.
Help for private landlords
You can get advice on:
- Rent Increases
- Ending the tenancy
- Tenancy Agreements
- Deposits
- Access rights
- Illegal eviction
- Harassment
For example:
If you have properties that you rent to people (not student
houses), or are thinking of renting out a property, you
can get information about the legal responsibilities you
will have if you become a landlord.
People renting private accommodation have rights to exclusive
use of the property, which means you cannot enter the property
without their permission – if you need information about access
rights, contact us.
There are legal notices, which you must serve if you want to end
the tenancy and there are also obligations around repairing the
property.
Related information