Tenants rights and responsibilities

Understanding your responsibilities helps keep your home in good condition and your tenancy running smoothly. You’re responsible for:

• Paying your rent and any service charges
• Keeping your home in good condition and reporting any repairs or maintenance issues promptly
• Making sure you and your visitors don’t cause a nuisance or disturbance to neighbours
• Allowing access for safety checks and essential repairs, such as gas servicing and electrical testing
• Maintaining your garden and communal areas to an acceptable standard
• Requesting permission for any changes or improvements to your home, including minor building work or adaptations   

If you’re ever unsure what you can or can’t do, check your tenancy agreement or contact us for advice.

We must make sure your home meets the Decent Homes Standard, which is set by the Government. This means your home must: 

• Meet the current legal housing standards
• Be in a reasonable state of repair and properly maintained
• Have modern facilities and services that meet your everyday needs
• Be warm, energy-efficient and comfortable to live in  

Further information is available in the Guide for tenants: Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.

As your landlord, we’ll:

• Contact you if there are any issues with your tenancy
• Carry out reported repairs quickly and efficiently
• Keep you informed about planned maintenance or improvement works
• Consult you about rent changes or updates to your housing services
• Give you at least 24 hours’ notice to visit your home for a repair or inspection - unless there’s an emergency   

We want to provide safe, well-maintained and affordable homes for all residents. You can read more about how we do this on our home safety page. This page includes information about:

• Fire safety
• Cladding and remediation
• Damp, mould and condensation
• Gas safety
• Electrical safety
• Asbestos
• Water safety      

This guidance will help you meet your tenant responsibilities and keep your home in good condition. 

We want all residents to have fair access to our services, including disabled residents and people with long-term health conditions. Our goal is to help you live comfortably and independently in your home.  

Here’s how we can help:

• Provide information in different and accessible formats
• Be flexible with deadlines where possible
• Adapt how we communicate to suit your preferences
• Explore possible changes or adaptations to your home so it meets your needs 

You can read our reasonable adjustments policy for more details. We also have a dedicated page about aids and adaptations, which explains:

• The minor home adaptations we can carry out
• What to do if you need major adaptations or equipment