In April 2007, The Private Tenancies (NI) order 2006 got effective that apparently reinforced some major rights and responsibilities of both landlords and tenants. As a matter of fact, the rights and responsibilities of private tenants that legislation is governing are very complex- however; there are five basic rights that every tenant has.
Here are the basic rights that one can hold as a tenant
A rent book at no price
This free rent book for tenants includes the complete address and name of the landlord along with the rent (including rates if applicable) payable and when it is due. Details of other pending payments that is required to be made. Right from the date of your tenancy, your landlord is required to provide you this book within 28 days.
Tenants’ right to claim the house benefits
Tenants renting in London are required to be informed by the landlords of this right in the rent book that was provided to them initially. This housing benefit mentioned in the book is known as the Local Housing Allowance shortened as LHA.
Autonomy of illegal eviction and harassment
The autonomy of illegal eviction and harassment includes the unusual interfering of landlords with your possessions or the threatening verbal or physical behaviour of landlords. Moreover, it also includes the things like- changing the locks, cutting off the electricity supply or water. This law gives the full protection to tenants in these conditions. Whenever you face such issues, you can always seek for the help from the Environmental Health Department of your local council that holds the powers to investigate such actions.
Right to have adequate notice to quit
All the tenants living in London have rights to a minimum 28 days of notice in the written to quit before any legal action by the court to evict could be commenced.
The law of due process
If a landlord wants to terminate the tenancy of the tenant but tenant in any condition refuses to leave then landlord can recover the possession only through court proceedings.
Bonus rights for those whose tenancy started after 1st April 2007
There are some additional rights for those whose tenancy had started on or after 1st April 2007, some of those include-
- Tenants are required to be given a statement of tenancy terms within 28 days of the tenancy commencement date by the landlords.
- In the case of the unavailability of any tenancy agreement or at the situation when agreement fails to identify which party whether tenant or landlord is responsible for repairs, you have the right to carry out the certain repairs. Which repairs the tenants and landlord should be responsible for will be decided by the law.
- If there is no tenancy agreement to declare when the tenancy agreement will end, the law has right to continue the tenancy for 6 months initially and after that the tenancy will turn out to be a periodic tenancy.
If you want to know more then you should call at 03448 920 900 to contact your local housing executive district office or refer the housing advice NI website.
