Landlord Responsibilities
Being a Responsible Landlord
Our landlord and tenant solicitors can help you to understand your responsibilities as a landlord, as well as advise you on your rights, including the property access, rent collection and repossession.
Landlord responsibilities before a tenancy starts
As a landlord, you must follow certain procedures before your tenant moves in to the property, including:
- giving your tenant a copy of the Government’s How To Rent guide;
- checking that your tenant has the right to rent;
- installation of smoke and carbon monoxide alarm;
- protection of your tenant’s deposit in a deposit protection scheme;
- provision of copies of the gas safety and Energy Performance certificates.
Landlord responsibilities during a tenancy
Your responsibilities during a tenancy include:
- keeping the property in a safe condition;
- making sure gas and electrical equipment is safely installed and maintained;
- fitting and testing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms;
- providing an Energy Performance Certificate;
- protecting your tenant’s deposit in a government-approved scheme;
- checking your tenant has the right to rent (there is advice on the gov.uk website on this);
- giving your tenant a copy of the Government’s How to Rent guide;
- paying the appropriate income tax on your rental income;
- ensuring you have the appropriate permissions from any lender in relation to a mortgage on the property.
Landlord responsibilities after a tenancy
Once a tenancy has ended, you must return the deposit to the tenant. You are entitled to make a deduction from your tenant’s deposit if they have damaged the property, however you have to be able to prove your claim and you can’t claim for reasonable wear and tear. You can also deduct money from the deposit to cover unpaid bills.
If you fail to comply with your responsibilities as a landlord it may lead to legal problems, particularly if you wish to end a tenancy, so it is always a good idea to take advice from a specialist landlord lawyer.
Get in touch
Contact us for to speak to a member of our landlord and tenant team. You can email enquiries@cartridgeslaw.co.uk or call us on 01392 286774.
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