Leasing Property

Residential leases are often complicated, meaning that many tenants sign agreements without completely understanding them. Here are a few frequent misunderstandings about renting property, and an explanation of the accurate situation.1. It is entirely the landlord's responsibility to keep the property in good repair. This is not entirely accurate. A tenant has an implied covenant to act in a "tenant-like manner". This generally means to report disrepair quickly; to take reasonable actions to make sure that neither the tenant or any guests they may have damage either the property or its fixtures and fittings; to do the minor day to day things any home-occupier would normally do e.g. replace light bulbs, fit a new battery in a smoke or CO2 detector, tighten an odd screw which has come loose on a door handle etc.; to make sure that the property is warm and aired to help stop condensation or pipes freezing; to leave the property secure when absent from it; to keep the garden and other areas reasonably tidy and free from rubbish. A landlord will be responsible for repairs only if the repair has been reported. You should therefore make sure that you report repairs in writing and retain a copy for yourself. Landlords are required by law to repair the structure and exterior of the property, including drains, gutters and external pipes; to keep the gas, electricity and water installations in working order; and, for the installations for the provision of space and water heating. If you find that any the above is in a state of disrepair you can complain to either your local environmental heath department or the tenancy relations office at your local authority.2. I am in breach of one of the terms of my tenancy agreement and the landlord is now threatening me with eviction from the property - I have no choice but to leave. It is a criminal offense for a landlord or agent to evict a tenant without following the correct procedures; normally this means that you cannot be evicted without the landlord obtaining a Possession Order from the County Court. If your landlord puts pressure on you to leave your home for example by any of the following he or she could be committing a criminal offense. Examples include:- Visiting at unsocial hours- Changing the locks- No verbal or physical threats- Disconnecting gas, water or electricity supplies- Interfering with your possessions- Interfering in some way with your quiet enjoyment of the property If you do suffer any form of harassment it is important you keep a written note of any occurrences, and if you have witnesses ask them to do the same.3. My landlord has stated that there will be car parking at the premises. Not necessarily. The lease will need to be checked to establish whether or not there is an allocated parking space or spaces or whether there is only a right to park on a "first come first served basis" in a communal car park.