A Guide to Tenancy Rights for Students in the UK

You should be informed of your tenancy rights if you want to rent a flat while studying in the United Kingdom.

In these matters, ignorance of your rights makes you vulnerable to deception. The harsh truth is, some landlords will totally take advantage of your lack of knowledge. The best course of action is to gear up and read your tenancy agreement carefully. 

If you find tenancy agreements confusing, you must at least know the common conditions included. This usually involves your landlord’s obligations and deposit scheme. 

Read on to find out more about your tenancy rights in the UK:

Rights and Obligations of the Landlord

Is your landlord responsible for repairs and pest control? Can your landlord enter your apartment without notice? These are some common questions you must clarify in the tenancy agreement.

Here’s a quick answer: your landlord has no right to enter the flat without your permission. There must be a 24 hours’ notice to enter the property unless it’s for an emergency. 

For matters like pest infestation, it’s complicated to know who’s responsible. It may be listed on the tenancy agreement or determined based on whether the pests existed before or during your stay. 

Your landlord must also ensure proper installation and maintenance of certain appliances. For utilities like gas, a Gas Safe engineer must check it every year. 

Safety Measures

The UK law mandates property owners to follow hazard prevention and safety measures. First, the property must have accessible fire escapes at certain points. Second, each level of the property building must have at least one fire alarm. 

These are some of the safety measures you must check before moving in. You can also install safety mechanisms and reimburse the cost from your landlord.

Having Friends Over

Landlords usually aren’t strict in terms of having visitors over. But there are certain risks with inviting your friends to your flat.

For example, if you host a party and one of your guests causes any damage to the property, you may be responsible for it. So remember to exercise caution when having people over.

Important note: subletting is highly objected to. This happens when you allow someone else to rent a room in the flat. This goes against your tenancy agreement so you risk eviction.

Changes in Fixtures and Decorations of the Flat

Don’t like the color of your walls and want to change it? You must give written permission to your landlord first before you can make any changes.

Remember, the landlord still owns the property. The most you can do is to decorate the flat to fit your liking.

Tenancy Deposit Protection

Your landlord has the legal obligation to place your deposit in the Tenancy Deposit Protection scheme. If your landlord fails to do this within 30 days, you’re entitled to compensation.

Grounds for Eviction

Legal eviction can take place due to various reasons. It can include more than two consecutive late payments or using the flat for unlawful activities.

All these grounds for eviction must be listed in the tenancy agreement. Make sure to clarify any ground to your landlord if it confuses you.

If you’re looking for more articles about renting a flat in the UK, we have multiple stories here at MSM Unify. Be sure to check them out to ensure a safe stay in the country.