How to be a good tenant!

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Mitchell Sparks
7 years ago
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1 How to be a good tenant! This booklet has been produced to give you some practical guidelines on the expectations for being a tenant in a house let by a College managed or introduced property. It is meant to be helpful, but not exhaustive. Your legal responsibilities are covered by your formal tenancy agreement and this booklet doesn t attempt to replace that but to interpret the spirit of the agreement rather the letter of the law. St John's College Nottingham Ltd. Chilwell Lane, Bramcote, Nottingham, NG9 3DS

2 Who s responsible for what? The tenancy agreement is the most important document in defining rights and responsibilities and both tenant and landlords should abide by it. When you first move in It s a good idea to photograph the property before you move in so its condition is clearly recorded for future reference. Treat it as your own home but respect the fact that it belongs to someone else, probably a former student like you. The Landlord is responsible for: Structure and exterior; Central heating and hot water system; Sanitation; Independently connected electrical appliances such as electric fires heaters, radio or tv. The Tenant is responsible for: Broadly speaking, keeping the house in at least as good condition as you found it! You are responsible for all day-to-day repairs and redecoration, replacing light bulbs, etc. Repairs inside of the Property Please keep doors, window frames and glass in windows, doors and skylights in good repair and condition, replace all broken glass light bulbs and fuses. Decoration Please repaint and repaper the internal walls and other surfaces including doors and window frames as necessary and keep them in a good state of decorative condition. Contents The Tenant must maintain the Contents and keep them in good condition (except to the extent their condition deteriorates as a result of fair and ordinary use), must make sure they are not damaged or destroyed and you must not take any of them away from the Property. Breakages etc e The Tenant must replace or make good all breakages damage and losses occurring to the Contents during the tenancy. 2

3 Cleaning and tidying during your tenancy Keep the Property (including doors and windows) reasonably clean and tidy and clear of all rubbish. Put the rubbish out for bin day - this will help avoid infestation by rats and mice and means your house smells sweeter! Do not let equipment or areas of the property get past the stage where they can be properly cleaned - if you do, you might lose some of your damage deposit. Little and often is best as far as cleaning goes. Care of the exteriors and gardens Keep the outside in good condition, keep any garden areas properly cultivated and weeded and any grass mown. Parking Apart from cars or bikes, no vehicle, boat, caravan, etc. on the grounds or store anything on them that is untidy, unclean, unsightly or in any way detrimental to the Property or to the area generally. Fences and hedges Keep hedges properly trimmed, border tidy and keep any gates in good repair and working order. Cleaning at the end of your tenancy You must wash or dry clean all curtains, carpets or similar items comprised in the Contents that have become soiled during the time you're there. If not the Landlord may pay for them to be cleaned and deduct it from your deposit. Utilities Do not overload the electrical circuit. Your landlord pays for the electrical circuit to be tested regularly to ensure that it is safe. However, if you plug several adaptors into one socket it can overheat and catch fire and you might be responsible for damage. If you do use an adaptor make sure it is good quality and has the right fuse. Insurance The Landlord insures the Property and their Contents but your personal property must be insured by you. You mustn t not do anything or fail to comply with any requirement as a result of which the policy of insurance taken out by the Landlord in relation to the Property and the Contents may become void or invalid. Landlord Repairs Notify your landlord or their agent of any repairs required as quickly as possible. Most tenancy agreements require you to notify your landlord in writing. Keep a copy of any letters you send. If ignored, a leaking bath could cause the ceiling to come down, which would be expensive for your landlord and inconvenient for you. Be flexible, understand and co-operative and allow your landlord to enter your rented property for safety or maintenance reasons accepting the proper advance notice. 3

4 Noise Please be aware of noise. If noise coming from your house is too loud to talk over then it s probably a nuisance for your neighbours and they could report you to Environmental Health. If noise from your neighbours is a nuisance, then you have a right to report them. If you are concerned keep a record of the level and date of the noise. The Deposit, Rent and Tenancy Agreement Deposit You ll be required to pay a deposit initially which will be refunded less any charges the Landlord is entitled to make under the agreement (e.g. cleaning the carpets). Rent Payment You are required to pay your rent on time each month. Failure to pay can result in withheld degree awards and ordination! Never refuse to pay rent because there is a problem as a first course of action. Tenancy Agreement Read your tenancy agreement before you sign it, understand it and make sure you comply with all the conditions of the tenancy agreement. If you are not happy with any conditions or clauses raise the issue before you sign as once you have signed you will have to abide by the agreement. Charges St John s College is happy to bear the charge of c. 100 to draw up the cost of the first tenancy agreement. Should a student choose to move properties within their time at college, the student will meet any subsequent charges for tenancy agreements. Above all treat the house with the respect that someone else s home deserves. Otherwise it reflects badly on you and us. 4

5 Housing - an investment financial and personal Most of our landlords are clergy themselves and often have trained here. Buying a house to rent to students helps in so many ways- Helping future generations of students with their accommodation; Helping St. John s with recruitment by having good quality housing ; Consistently better tenants with only a short gap every 2nd or 3rd year; A great investment. The rent helps to pay a mortgage and in time gives you an income stream or investment for the future; Rents are assured as all Ordinands have their rents paid by their Dioceses. Existing or departing student? If you haven t already done so, please consider the advantages of becoming a landlord yourself. We d be pleased to help! Contact: If you would like further information about becoming a Landlord please ring Paul Stuttle, chief Operating Officer on or Louise Williams or Jane Travis in Admissions on

TENANCY AGREEMENT (FIXED TERM)

TENANCY AGREEMENT (FIXED TERM) AN AGREEMENT made the day of 200 BETWEEN Of:.. ( the Tenant ) and. Of: ( the Landlord ). WHEREBY IT IS AGREED as follows: 1. The Landlord agrees to let and the Tenant agrees