How to be a Good Tenant
It is a big thing to move into a new place, to have somewhere you can call “your home”. To help you understand what to expect and how to prepare for moving into and maintaining the new rental home, let’s look at some of the responsibilities, rights, and expectations for a tenant in the UK.
Tenancy Agreement
Before you move into a privately rented property you will have to sign paperwork, including a ‘Tenancy Agreement’. Your Tenancy Agreement is a contract between you (tenant) and the property owner (landlord). It is an important document which sets out:
Cost of deposit and rent
Date you must pay rent each month
Date your tenancy will run from and to
Conditions for terminating your tenancy
Repairs and maintenance that are your responsibility
Repairs and maintenance that are your landlord’s responsibility (important to refer to when you require maintenance assistance)
Restrictions to the property i.e., no smoking in the home
It is important that you are able to read through this document. If you struggle to read English make sure you ask a local friend, translator or charity to translate the document and go through it with you.
Responsibilities
A Landlord and a tenant have different responsibilities, rights and roles. For example:
Tenant Responsbilities
Pay rent
Allow the landlord access to the property for repairs and inspections. How often you have inspections is stated in your tenancy agreement.
Contact your landlord if you require any repairs or have ongoing issues with the property.
Keeping the property, fixtures and furniture clean and in good condition.
You can contact your landlord with questions about maintenance or repair. Landlords are responsible for heating, electric and gas maintenance / repair.
Landlord Responsibilities
Charge rent
Organise repairs to the property and fixtures.
Ensuring the property has all fixtures and furniture agreed in your tenancy agreement.
Ensure the property is safe and up to renting standards.
Landlords must give 24 hours notice before visiting the properties for any maintenance / repair reasons. They cannot enter the property unannounced.
Tenant Rights
The right to terminate the tenancy agreement and move out if the property does not meet safety requirements.
e.g. The landlord refuses to repair a faulty boiler that is broken and has been prior to the tenant moving into the property.
Refugee tenants can access financial support to help with upfront costs such as a rental deposit. You can contact your local council to inquire about bond schemes. (More details below).
Landlord Rights
The right to evict a tenant if he/she breaches the terms of a tenancy agreement.
e.g. Multiple failures to pay rent on time.
A landlord can ask a tenant to pay a deposit and first month’s rent before signing a tenancy agreement.
Tenant Role
Pays rent each month to the landlord on an agreed date.
Pays household bills such as: gas, electric, water, broadband (WI-FI), television licence and Council Tax.
Landlord Role
Owns the property and rents the property out to a tenant at a fixed amount each month during the agreed-upon tenancy arrangement.
May need to be notified if a broadband company needs to do work to the property to install television / Wi-Fi cables or satellites.
Paying a Deposit
Before you sign a tenancy agreement you may be asked to pay a deposit and rent upfront. This can be a high upfront cost and you may need support to afford the payment. There are various ways you can find support for these payments.
Local Rent Deposit Scheme
Your local council may run a rent deposit scheme. This is a borrowing scheme when the local council pays a landlord your deposit upfront. The repayment of this loan is then decided between you and the council. If you know you cannot afford to pay a deposit upfront you should contact your local council to find out what support options are available. They will let you know of their operations or local charities that could assist you.
Some rent deposit schemes provide:
A guarantee that the scheme will cover any charges from unpaid rent or damage to the property.
Cash payments to help with your deposit and rent upfront costs
UK Government refugee integration loan
The UK government offers refugee integration loans to cover essential costs to help you to settle into UK society.
To apply for a loan, you must be over the age of 18 and have refugee status. You can apply for the loan by yourself or with your partner.
Applying for yourself: £100.00-£500.00
Applying with a partner: £100.00-£780.00
Integration loans are interest-free, and you only pay back what you borrow, but you must make regular payments. You will receive a decision after you have applied for a loan within 4 weeks. If your application is successful, the loan is paid into your bank or building society account.
You may be asked to prove how you have spent the loan. You may have to repay it straight away if you did not use funds for the reason stated in your application.
Universal Credit - Housing Payment Support
If you have made a successful asylum claim, you may have the right to claim Universal Credit to help you pay rent. Your Migrant Help advisor will be able to tell you information about applying for benefits.
We have useful guidance on getting financial help for accommodation on the Housing section.
Paying Rent
In order to receive financial support from the government and pay rent you will need a bank account.
Opening a local bank account is an important step in your new life in the UK. Visit here for guidance such as ‘How to open a bank account’.
Once you have set up a bank account you can arrange how you will pay your rent. This is usually done via Direct Debit from your bank account to your landlord. Your tenancy agreement will set out the cost of your rent and the date when you must pay this each week or month. If you have applied for financial support from the government, you will use this towards your rent.
If you know you will not be able to afford a rent payment you should contact your Landlord immediately and make them aware. Missing rent payments is grounds for eviction and you may be asked to leave the property.
There are lots of services offering guidance and advice on budgeting and financial management. You can read more about this here.
Moving In – Bill Payments
When you move into a new home there are various bills that you may have to pay on top of your rent:
Water
Heating (Gas, oil or electric)
Electricity
Council Tax
Broadband (wifi)
Your landlord should provide you with information on current suppliers and the current methods of payment. When you know who supplies electricity, gas or oil, and wifi you can open new accounts and arrange your own payment methods.
Energy Bill Payment Method
You can choose how to make your energy household bill payments. Most commonly, people set up a monthly direct debit. A direct debit is a regular payment that goes from your bank directly to the company. Most companies will be able to instruct you how to set up a direct debit from your bank account. A direct debit, for energy bills, can be paid monthly or quarterly. Monthly payments may be an easier option as your payments are smaller but more frequent.
Alternatively, you could use a prepayment meter. This option means you are paying upfront for your energy usage. Usually, you put money on a top-up card and then put this in a meter box/point to update your account balance. The more balance you have, the more usage you will have. You can top up your card at the Post Office, a PayPoint or PayZone or online.
Some energy suppliers may have an online payment system or an App. You can use online services or Apps to track usage, check your balance and top up your account. Using an App is a quick and easy way to keep on top of your household bills.
It is important not to waste water, electricity and gas. Overuse will lead to bigger bills. Take some time to familiarise yourself with how your heating works and turn off taps and electrical items when you are not using them. If you have questions about your utility usage you can ask your landlord to show you how the systems work.
Expectations
Who can stay in the rental property?
When you sign your tenancy agreement you will inform your landlord who will be staying in the property. You cannot invite additional members of your family to stay in the property with you on a long-term basis (over 14 days in any six week period) without the permission of your landlord. If you do have a guest staying with you for over 14 days within a six week period (i.e. 10 day stay, a week elsewhere, another 10 day stay) then please ensure that your landlord is aware of this and gives permission.
Who pays the bills for the property?
You are responsible for paying your utility bills: heating, electricity, water, broadband and Council Tax. It is important that you make payments on time. Most of your utility bills will be monthly direct debit payments. You must pay off all utility bills fully at the end of your tenancy. If you have issues making payments you can contact the utility providers to discuss payment plans.
TIP: When you move into the property ask your landlord where the electric and gas metres are. You should take a picture of the metre reading the day you move in to ensure the previous tenant has paid their bills fully and you are not overcharged. You should tell your energy suppliers the metre readings you record so they can assess your bills correctly.
How long can I stay in the property? Can I leave the property early?
Your tenancy agreement will show the start and end dates of your tenancy. If you want to leave the property earlier than this, you must let your landlord know. If you unexpectedly leave the property or leave before the end of your tenancy agreement, you will most likely be charged and you could be taken to court.
What happens if the house isn’t in good condition?
When you sign your tenancy agreement your landlord may have prepared an inventory and/or report on the condition of the property. These documents will be given to you when you move into the property. You should inspect these documents against the property. You should ensure that everything is recorded correctly.
For example, if you notice mould in the kitchen in your first week then check the report on condition. If this isn’t listed, report this to your Landlord via text or email and request that your landlord adds it to the report.
If you notice that the furniture is damaged then check whether this is included in the inventory report. If it is not recorded, text or email your landlord and request that your landlord add this to the report.
Once items have been formally noted, your landlord should arrange to fix, clean and repair the property where necessary.
What happens if utilities are not working?
If you notice that equipment such as the radiators, boilers, lights, fridge, or oven are not working then contact your landlord. They are likely to send around a professional to solve the issue. Do not attempt to fix these items yourself.
Can I decorate the house?
Your tenancy agreement will set out the decorative changes you can make to the property. This might include painting, hanging pictures or using wallpaper. You should always contact your landlord to request permission before making decorative changes to the property. Your landlord may ask you to only use certain colours of paint or to only hang pictures using a certain fixing.
Moving In - A Warm Welcome!
It is really important to get to know the people living in your neighbourhood. New friends can help you settle into your new area and show you how to do things, like:
Signing up for the doctor / GP
Set-up utility bills
Locate local food shops
Find a local language class
Find local friends
In the UK, over a thousand churches have signed up to the Welcome Network to welcome refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants from any nation and background. You don’t have to be a Christian to attend a church – everyone is welcome! Find a Welcome Network church near you and see what activities they have on offer to help you to make friends and settle in.
Useful contacts
Landlord: Copy down your landlord’s phone number or email address, and store the information somewhere easily accessible
Emergency services: 999
For non-emergency enquiries: 111
Useful Terms
Definitions taken from Collins Dictionary
Tenancy Agreement: A written agreement specifying the terms of the rental or temporary possession of a property
Tenant: A tenant is someone who pays rent for the place they live in, or for land or buildings that they use.
Landlord: Someone's landlord is the man/woman who allows them to live or work in a building that he/she owns, in return for rent.
Deposit: A deposit is a sum of money which you pay when you start renting something. The money is returned to you if you do not damage what you have rented.
Fixtures: Fixtures are pieces of furniture or equipment, for example baths and sinks, which are fixed inside a house or other building and which stay there if you move.
TV (television) licence: A legal permission to install or use television receiving equipment to watch live on any channel, TV service or streaming service, and to use BBC iPlayer