What are your responsibilities as a tenant?

Tenants of private rented buildings have various rights and responsibilities under the UK law. As a tenant, it is important to know your rights and what the landlord can rightfully do in different situations. For instance, your landlord should ensure the building structure is well maintained. Boilers, water works, electricity, air conditioners and drainage systems should also be working efficiently. You can always sue the landlord if they fail to meet their end of the contract or if they harass and jeopardize your legal entitlements. Similarly, landlords can sue you for failing to meet your responsibilities. As a tenants, knowing and performing your obligations is just as important as understanding your rights. Below is a brief look at some of the basic responsibilities of a tenant.

Apartment/home cleaning

Cleaning is one of the inevitable responsibilities of every tenant regardless of the type of residency you have. Once you sign a tenancy contract, it is upon you to treat the home as your own and that means maintaining good hygiene. Thanks to revolutions in the cleaning industry, you do not have to do this on your own or even be present when your house is being cleaned. You can simply hire reputable companies to keep your space clean and orderly. According to royal cleaning, there are various flexible plans available for today’s homeowners. You can also benefit from technologies such as virtual reality and green principles. It is recommendable to find reliable companies that can clean every inch of your home including backyards and driveways. You can also hire help to take care of routine dusting and mopping. Nonetheless, expert janitorial services are usually the ideal solution for detailed cleaning.

Reporting faults and breakdowns

Landlords are supposed to take care of repair and maintenance as soon as possible especially if the breakdown is interfering with your comfort. However, it is your duty as a tenant to report faults and breakdowns when they happen. Make sure you have the correspondences in writing (rather than telephone calls). This can be very important if you need to file a complaint about your landlord.

Paying rent in time

Rent is what binds the tenancy contract and every tenant has an obligation to pay their rent in full within the deadlines provided by the landlord. Paying your rent in time will also create a thriving tenant-landlord relationship as it prevents confrontations and harassment. If you cannot afford your rent for the month, simply communicate with the landlord to forge a plan that will accommodate the delay.

Behaving in a tenant-like manner

At the time of tenancy, you are expected to sign a contract. Most contracts specify the rent, a few responsibilities and what is expected from the tenant. Behaving in a tenant like manner simply entails being mindful of other tenants and treating the property with respect. Landlords can evict you for failing to behave in a tenant-like manner especially if your habits have negative side effects on other tenants or simply do not align with the code of conduct specified by the tenancy contract.

Tenant responsibilities are usually very basic and should not cause any discomfort. They are simply there to help improve your living conditions and create a sustainable environment for every tenant in the building. It is important to carefully read through your tenancy contract before committing. If there is any area you do not understand, simply see help from the landlord. Once signed, make sure you adequately take care of all your responsibilities as this gives you an upper hand when the landlord becomes complacent.