Sometimes when you are renting someone else's property it can seem like the landlord has all the power. This is not true. Tenants also have rights and if you have taken the right steps at the beginning of the tenancy they should be much more easily enforceable.

The first thing to do is to make sure you understand any tenancy agreement you are asked to sign. It is the landlord's responsibility to make sure you are provided with one. In the tenancy agreement there should be mention of things such as; how the rent is to be paid and how much notice the landlord needs to give you before they can carry out an inspection. It is also important it addresses the issue of what will happen with the amount of rent you pay in the future. It will be easier for you to understand how these things work if the landlord has given you a tenancy agreement.

It is also important to be aware that when you are renting you have rights regarding repairs to the house or flat. You also have responsibilities. Roughly speaking anything that you damage in the house you must pay for to be fixed. So if a window is broken or a carpet damaged then you need to make sure it is returned to an acceptable state. However, the landlord also has responsibilities to you as the person renting their property. Anything in the house or flat that you are renting that is damaged through daily wear and tear the landlord must pay to repair. A roof tile that comes off in the wind would be up to the landlord to replace.

This all sounds pretty simple but sometimes the line between the responsibilities can be a bit confusing. It may be as well to rent through an agency that can quickly help you to clear up any misunderstandings.

Be aware of what type of tenancy agreement you want when you are looking for a property to rent. The two main ones are periodic and fixed term. The first allows you to get out of the agreement with 30 or 60 days notice to the landlord. It also allows the landlord renting you the property to do the same thing.

Fixed term offers more security but less flexibility. If you sign a fixed term agreement you will have to stay in the property until the term of the lease expires.

Another important thing to do when you first move into a flat or house to rent is to draw up a list of everything that is in the house and state what sort of repair it is in. Take notice of any existing marks on walls or carpets and write them down. A decent letting agency will make sure this inventory is taken care of for you.