Your Tenant’s Responsibilities
Liz Hodgkinson is an experienced property developer, landlord and journalist. Over the past decade she has bought, renovated and rented out or lived in many flats of all kinds, from new-build to Victorian, from purpose-built 60s and 70s blocks, to conversions and mansion blocks. She contributes a regular landlord and tenant column to the Evening Standard and also writes for the Mail on Sunday, The Lady, Saga, The Independent and Daily Mail.
YOUR TENANT’S RESPONSIBILITIES
The tenant is responsible for paying the rent, all utilities, the council tax and also telephone and other connection charges plus the television licence. You the owner remain responsible for the service charges.
Keeping your tenant informed
It is a very good idea to give your tenant a simplified form of the lease, as there can then be no excuse for infringing any of its clauses. Some firms of managing agents now provide these simplified leases, especially for tenants.
In flats, it is also essential to provide a fire extinguisher and blanket, and supply your tenant with information on the fire drill.
The tenant should have details of the managing agents, caretaker, cleaners and anybody else responsible for running the block.
TYPES OF TENANCY
The AST (Assured Shorthold Tenancy), is governed by the Housing Act of 1989 and has proved very successful ever since. On an AST you can have corporate tenants, sharers, young professionals, students, couples, families or singles. The only proviso for setting up an AST is that the flat must be self-contained and have its own front door.
Many agents will not consider flats in attics or basements, for instance, where you would have to go through the main flat to get to the secondary flat.
