Tenants

Tenants are people who live in a property they do not own. They rent it from a landlord for an agreed monthly rental sum. In some cases, rent is paid weekly, but this would be mentioned in the tenancy agreement. It means that any problems with the property such as repairs to the roof, to the plumbing, and so on, would be the responsibility of the landlord to put right.

A tenant should always read and sign a tenancy agreement provided by the landlord before taking up residence of the property. In cases where the landlord uses an agency to handle the rental process for them, you would receive the agreement from them. They would act as a go-between for the two parties to the agreement.

A property could be rented to one or more tenants at the same time. For example, a couple might rent a house or flat. Similarly, it is possible to rent a room within a shared property. In this case, you would rent a room of your own and share certain communal areas, such as the kitchen, bathroom, and lounge. Again, these elements would be stipulated in your rental agreement.

While the landlord is responsible for making sure the property is in habitable condition, it is the responsibility of the tenant to make sure any issues are brought to their attention as quickly as possible. The landlord must then resolve those issues satisfactorily as a condition of the agreement signed by both parties.