Landlords

Advice about Renting your Home

Are you aware of your obligations as a landlord, such as Gas Safety Regulations when renting out your accommodation?

Tameside MBC has produced a starter pack that explains the basics about letting a property such as tenancy issues, health and safety issues and repairing obligations. The pack includes Government housing booklets as well as leaflets that relate directly to Tameside.

For Gas safety advice see - www.hse.gov.uk/gas/index.htm

These pages also link to translated versions of many housing booklets, including, Arabic, Bengali, Punjabi and Urdu.

If you would like to receive a landlord's starter pack please contact us using the below:

Tenants

If you are thinking of privately renting property we have produced a check list of what to look for when viewing a property.

Viewing a Privately Rented Property 

How to find a good landlord

The National Landlords Association (NLA) has compiled a list of the top things a tenant should look for when they are searching for the ideal landlord.

A survey by the NLA found 96 per cent of landlords have good relations with their tenants. But there are a number of things tenants can look out for when renting a property to ensure they establish a good relationship from the start.

• Ask if the landlord is a member of a professional organisation like the NLA, or a Council Landlord Accreditation Scheme. This shows they are aware of their obligations as a landlord and understand the rules and regulations relating to the letting of private-residential property.
• Make sure the landlord provides a proper Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) agreement that both parties sign. This is the contractual agreement outlining the length of the tenancy, the amount of rent, when it is to be paid, any deposit details, and the obligations of both parties.
• Check any deposit is protected. Landlords are required to protect their tenant’s deposit with a government-authorised scheme such as my deposits and inform the tenant that they have done so. If there is a dispute over the return of the deposit, the scheme will help resolve it.
• Ensure the landlord provides an inventory, detailing furnishings within the property and their condition. Both parties should agree to its contents and sign it.
• Ask for a gas safety record to show that all gas appliances provided by the landlord have been checked within the past 12 months. Landlords are required to have a gas safety check carried out annually by a “Gas Safe” registered engineer.
• Read the property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). This must be provided by the landlord for most lettings and can help when budgeting for energy bills.
• If urgent repairs are needed to the property, ensure that the landlord is notified as soon as possible. Problems should be fixed within a reasonable time.