Blocked Drains Chelmsford give information about the tenant and landlord responsibilities as they differ when it comes to repairs and maintenance of the rented property, which is described in the tenancy agreement.
Landlords’ obligations & responsibilities
From a landlord’s point of view, the main obligations are quiet enjoyment.
This means that the tenant can enjoy the complete benefit of the property without the landlord adversely affecting that enjoyment.
In addition, the landlord must insure the property and take care of all the repairs, such as structurally (the exterior including gutters, drains and pipes maintained)
Landlords are liable for gas safety, furniture safety, fire safety, environmental health and liabilities under common and civil law.
In England, for residential tenancy agreements starting after 20 March 2019 you should also ensure that the dwelling is fit for human habitation when the tenancy is granted, and for the duration of the tenancy.
For more information, read Fitness for Human Habitation.
Also, read about becoming a first-time landlord.
Tenants responsibilities & obligations
The tenancy agreement will list what the tenant can and cannot do at the property.
For example, the tenant must keep the property clean and in good order.
Also, the tenant must pay the rent on time and take care of all utility bills and sometimes council tax and water rates.
Tenants should not to sublet the property and should allow the landlord to carry out periodic checks to inspect the property or undertake any maintenance work.
Click here for a full guide for tenants
Here is what both Landlord and Tenant Responsibilities include in more detail:
Internal decoration
The tenant has the responsibility to keep the interior of the rented property in reasonable decorative order.
External Works
The landlord responsibilities include:
- to do repairs of walls, garden paths, gates and fences where installed by the landlord
- to replace of wheelie bins on every seven years if the replacement is necessary
- to replace rotary clothes dryers
- to do external paintwork
- to do the maintenance of communal amenity areas, if the local council is not responsible for it
- to do outside repair work including structural repairs to outside doors, walls, windows (but not replacement of glass), chimneys, roofs, valleys, downpipes, gutters and house drains (excluding cleaning of gullies)
- the tenant is responsible for:
- cleaning gully trap
- upkeep and care of gardens and hedges
Doors and Windows
Doors and WindowsThe tenant is responsible for:
- bedroom and kitchen doors, door handles, hinges and catches on drawers
- draught-proofing of windows and doors
- to replace the broken glass
The landlord is responsible for:
- window furniture, window frames and sashes
- repair of external and internal doors that are malfunctioning, of saddles and door frames
- locks, hinges, handles, letterboxes and trapper bars on external doors
Electrical Repairs
Electrical RepairsThe tenant is responsible for:
- doorbells (where not installed by the landlord) and plug tops on appliances
- repairing electrical appliances, heaters and fires not installed by the landlord
- replacement of fuses, except main service fuses
The landlord is responsible for:
- electrical wiring
- door entry systems to communal blocks
- socket switches and outlets
- repairing electrical appliances, heaters and fires where fitted by the landlord
- lamp holders, ceiling roses and flexes
Cooking and Heating Appliances
Cooking and Heating AppliancesThe landlord is responsible for:
- repairs to solid fuel cookers and stoves that are malfunctioning
- fire hearth and surrounds
- solid fuel room heaters
Structural and Other Repairs
Structural and Other RepairsThe tenant is responsible for:
- internal plaster cracks on walls and ceilings
- sweeping chimneys and the potential charges of any work needed because of the failure to sweep chimneys
The landlord is responsible for:
- wall and floor tiling
- staircases, walls and all structural timbers, chimney, roof and rainwater goods
- airbricks and ventilators
- skirting boards, timber sills, architraves and other internal decorative woodwork
- timber rot
Plumbing
PlumbingThe tenant is responsible for:
- chains and stoppers for baths, basins and sinks
- replacement of baths, sinks and drainers (except where damaged or discoloured by faulty installation or through wear and tear)
- replacement of washbasins, toilet bowls and toilet seats (except where damaged or discoloured by faulty installation or through wear and tear)
The landlord is responsible for:
- clearing blocked drains, sewers and external waste pipes except for gullies and waste pipes blocked because of tenant misuse
- radiators, pipework, fittings and valves
- boilers and hot water cylinders