Your legal rights as a tenant from how to avoid unexpected landlord visits to eviction
Tenants have been urged to brush up on their rights after the Government published fresh guidance aimed at protecting renters from unfair treatment, hidden costs, and illegal evictions. The advice, released by GOV.UK, spells out in detail what landlords must – and must not – do when letting out a property in England.
It is designed to give tenants confidence to challenge bad practice and ensure homes remain safe, secure, and affordable. From avoiding surprise visits by landlords to understanding rules on rent rises, evictions, safety standards and deposits, here is what every tenant needs to know.
Your key rights as a tenant
A safe home: Your landlord must ensure the property is in a good state of repair and free from health hazards.
Quiet enjoyment: You have the right to live undisturbed – landlords must give 24 hours' notice before visiting unless there's an emergency.
Protected from unfair eviction: Tenants can only be evicted through proper legal procedures, and only with adequate notice.
Deposit protection: Deposits must be kept in a government-approved scheme if you're on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy.
Rent fairness: Rent must be realistic and in line with local market rates. You can challenge unfair increases.
Know your landlord: You're legally entitled to know who owns the property. If they don't tell you within 21 days of asking, they can be fined.
Landlords are legally required to:
Repair structure, plumbing, heating, and electrics
Maintain gas appliances with annual safety checks by a Gas Safe engineer
Ensure electrical systems and appliances are safe
Fit smoke alarms on every floor and carbon monoxide detectors where needed
Provide safe escape routes and fire-safe furnishings
If problems like damp, mould, faulty wiring, or broken heating aren't fixed, tenants can contact their local council's environmental health team, which must act if conditions are dangerous.
Rent increases and arrears:
For rolling tenancies, rent can usually only go up once a year unless you agree otherwise.
For fixed-term contracts, rent rises must wait until the term ends unless the agreement allows increases.
Landlords must give at least one month's notice for changes, or six months if you pay rent annually.
If you can't afford rent, help is available through Universal Credit, discretionary housing payments, or council support.
Missing rent payments puts your tenancy at risk. Landlords can issue a Section 8 or Section 21 notice and apply to court for eviction. But they must follow legal procedures and give proper notice.
Avoiding illegal evictions
Landlords cannot evict you without proper notice or harass you into leaving. A Section 21 notice gives at least 2 months; a Section 8 notice (for rent arrears) requires 2 weeks. If you're taken to court, a judge will consider if the eviction is fair. You may be allowed to stay if you repay arrears or agree to conditions.
Deposits and what you're owed
Maximum deposit: 5 weeks' rent (or 6 if annual rent is £50,000+)
Holding deposit (to reserve a home): 1 week's rent
To get your deposit back, you must:
Meet tenancy agreement terms
Not damage the property
Pay your rent and bills
Landlords have 10 days to return your deposit once the tenancy ends. Disputes can be taken to the deposit scheme, First-Tier Tribunal, or letting agent redress scheme.
When you start a tenancy
Landlords must give you:
A copy of the How to Rent guide (in England)
Confirmation of deposit protection
Contact details of who manages the property
Gas safety, electrical safety, and energy performance certificates
Tenant responsibilities
Tenants must:
Pay rent on time
Look after the property (e.g., turn off water when away in winter)
Report repairs and allow access with 24 hours' notice
Not sublet unless agreed
Pay for any damage caused by themselves, family or guests
What to do if things go wrong
Try resolving issues directly with your landlord or letting agent
If that fails, contact your local councillor, MP, or a tenant panel
Seek help from:
Shelter
Citizens Advice
MoneyHelper
Civil legal advice
The new guidance is part of a wider government effort to crack down on rogue landlords and improve conditions for England's 11 million private renters. For full details, visit here or contact your local housing authority.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Millions of UK drivers could benefit from Rachel Reeves' policy
Rachel Reeves is reportedly set to freeze fuel duty again this autumn to help drivers struggling with the cost of living. The decision will maintain the current 5p per litre cut introduced in 2022, despite calls to increase the tax to address public finance shortfalls. Maintaining the freeze and the existing cut is estimated to cost the Treasury around £5 billion annually. Treasury sources indicate that a hike in fuel duty will not be part of Ms Reeves' Autumn Budget, as she believes it would be the 'wrong choice' for working people. Analysis by a think tank suggests that continuous freezes and cuts to fuel duty since 2012 will have cost the government over £200 billion by 2028.
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
DWP to make big changes to means-tested benefits including Universal Credit within DAYS
Plus, we share if you could be missing out on important benefits TO YOUR BENEFIT DWP to make big changes to means-tested benefits including Universal Credit within DAYS HOUSEHOLDS should be aware of a big change to means-tested benefits which is due to come into force in days. Payments received through the miscarriage of justice compensation scheme will no longer count as income when determining eligibility for support such as Housing Benefit and Universal Credit. Advertisement 1 The DWP said the payments re Credit: Getty The government-funded programme gives payouts to those who have been wrongly convicted of a crime or had their conviction overturned. Under current rules, people who receive this reward may not be able to claim means-tested benefits as it can push their income above the eligibility threshold. But come Tuesday July 22, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said it is no longer counting this compensation as capital when calculating these types of benefits. The new rules apply across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Advertisement It means individuals who have been awarded compensation for a miscarriage of justice will not have this payment included when assessing their eligibility for means-tested support. And if you previously could not claim the support because of the compensation payout, you could reapply. The DWP said: "Any compensation payments you received will not be taken into account as capital when calculating entitlement to these benefits. "You will need to provide a copy of your compensation award as part of the application process." Advertisement If you are already claiming means-tested benefits but have received a payment, you should also report this as a change of circumstance. The department will be able to consider your benefits to ensure you are receiving the correct amount. Cost of Living payment updates — Thousands have just days to claim free £300 DWP cash You can report a change in your circumstances by visiting What are means-tested benefits? Means-tested benefits are awarded based on a person's financial situation. Advertisement The types of means-tested benefits include: Pension Credit Universal Credit Housing Benefit income-based Jobseeker's Allowance income-related Employment and Support Allowance Income Support The support is only available to those who can prove that their income is under a certain amount. Plus, exactly how much you are entitled to can vary from person to person. For example, every £1 you earn from working, your Universal Credit payment goes down by 55p. Advertisement Meanwhile, the maximum amount of savings you can have to qualify for Universal Credit is £16,000. Therefore, if you receive a sum of money that takes you over this threshold, you are likely to see your benefits stopped completely. If you have £6,000 or less in your bank account, this will not affect your Universal Credit claim. To qualify for Pension Credit, you must have less than £10,000 in savings. Advertisement
The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
DWP to make big changes to means-tested benefits including Universal Credit within DAYS
HOUSEHOLDS should be aware of a big change to means-tested benefits which is due to come into force in days. Payments received through the miscarriage of justice compensation scheme will no longer count as income when determining eligibility for support such as Housing Benefit and Universal Credit. 1 The government-funded programme gives payouts to those who have been wrongly convicted of a crime or had their conviction overturned. Under current rules, people who receive this reward may not be able to claim means-tested benefits as it can push their income above the eligibility threshold. But come Tuesday July 22, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said it is no longer counting this compensation as capital when calculating these types of benefits. The new rules apply across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It means individuals who have been awarded compensation for a miscarriage of justice will not have this payment included when assessing their eligibility for means-tested support. And if you previously could not claim the support because of the compensation payout, you could reapply. The DWP said: "Any compensation payments you received will not be taken into account as capital when calculating entitlement to these benefits. "You will need to provide a copy of your compensation award as part of the application process." If you are already claiming means-tested benefits but have received a payment, you should also report this as a change of circumstance. The department will be able to consider your benefits to ensure you are receiving the correct amount. Cost of Living payment updates — Thousands have just days to claim free £300 DWP cash You can report a change in your circumstances by visiting What are means-tested benefits? Means-tested benefits are awarded based on a person's financial situation. The types of means-tested benefits include: Pension Credit Universal Credit Housing Benefit income-based Jobseeker's Allowance income-related Employment and Support Allowance Income Support The support is only available to those who can prove that their income is under a certain amount. Plus, exactly how much you are entitled to can vary from person to person. For example, every £1 you earn from working, your Universal Credit payment goes down by 55p. Meanwhile, the maximum amount of savings you can have to qualify for Universal Credit is £16,000. Therefore, if you receive a sum of money that takes you over this threshold, you are likely to see your benefits stopped completely. If you have £6,000 or less in your bank account, this will not affect your Universal Credit claim. To qualify for Pension Credit, you must have less than £10,000 in savings.
