Tenant rights and obligations
Find out the rights tenants have when renting property, including what charges you need to pay for, how to keep the property and what happens at the end of the tenancy.
A tenant must:
- Pay all charges for electricity, gas (supplied to the property), metered water (if provided for in the Tenancy Agreement) and telephone
- Keep the property, including grounds, reasonably clean and tidy
- Tell the landlord as soon as possible of any damage or repairs needed
- Repair or pay for repair of any damage caused intentionally or carelessly by the tenant or the tenant's guests
- Make sure that any limit set (in the Tenancy Agreement) on the number of people allowed to stay in the property at any one time is adhered to. Note: this does not apply to short term stays by relatives or friends
- Make sure the property is used primarily for residential purposes
- Allow the landlord reasonable access to show prospective tenants, buyers or valuers through the property
- At the end of the tenancy, remove all personal belongings and rubbish, leave the property reasonably clean and tidy, leave lawns and gardens tidy, return all keys, pass cards or other such devices and leave all other chattels belonging to the landlord at the property
A tenant must not:
- Unreasonably refuse the landlord entry when they are entitled to access
- Intentionally or carelessly damage the property or permit anyone else to do so
- Use or permit the property to be used for any unlawful purpose
- Change the locks without the landlord's permission
- Interfere with the peace, comfort or privacy of other tenants or neighbours, or permit anyone else at the property to do so
- Attach any fixture to the property or renovate, alter, or add to the building, except as the Tenancy Agreement allows, or with the landlord's written permission
- Sublet or assign (transfer) the tenancy to someone else without the landlord's permission.