Do tenants have "renters' rights" in the UK?

It works both ways, though.

I think that a tenant who feels that his flat is his home rather than a temporary accommodation is going to be a better tenant.

It works both ways, though.

I think that a tenant who feels that his flat is his home rather than a temporary accommodation is going to be a better tenant.

i agree completely.  UK laws IMO favour buy-to-let landlords in many ways but especially in the predominence of short-assured tenancies, which alloow them to flip or off-load properties relatively quickly.

The problem is not with the rights the tenant has, it's trying to use them. I have had no luck trying to get my landlord to carry out essential repairs. Even when he left us without heat or hot water for three months! I was advised that I could get the council to force him to fix things but most likely would then be given notice to leave if he didn't want to do it. Apparently the lanlord can just break the lease whenever he wants without giving a reason.If I decide I want to leave however, I am bound to the end of the tenancy regardless. So much for rights!

That's not true.  You have a contract.


Vicky

T I was advised that I could get the council to force him to fix things but most likely would then be given notice to leave if he didn't want to do it.

Who gave you that piece of advice?

I was going to say that same thing.  You can't be evicted like for something like that if you have a lease.  Whoever told you that is dead wrong.  Even if a landlord in the UK has given you an eviction notice, they actually have to go to court to get it enforced, and the rights that protect the renter are very strong.

As a social worker in the US and the UK, I've had to be aware of tenancy laws in both countries to help protect my clients.  I actually feel that tenants rights are often more protected here than in the US.  I've never had such strong protection regulations as those described in NYC.

All of my rental agreements in the USA (except for student housing) also worked as I've heard described here--a six month or one year contract that turned into month to month after it expired unless the landlord and I set up a new contract.  I've never had one that automatically renewed to another year-long contract.

I was given the advice by Shelter. As my tenancy is assured shorthold there is nothing to stop the landlord from simply giving me two months notice to leave if I try to force him to make repairs. Easier said than done as my husband was made redundant, so finding a new place is almost out of the question.

Every month when we pay the rent to the building manager, we ask him when the landlord is giving us new windows so that we can have decent insulation.  Every month the building manager laughs at us.

Hey just to say that if anyone has any technical questions on tenancies or renter's rights, my husband is an ARLA-qualified senior estate agent, so feel free to PM me and I will get him to respond as best he is able.  He's really interested in property law, so he's pretty good about the ins & outs of the system.

It's not a legal question, but why do some letting agents ask for national insurance numbers? This came up in another thread recently. They don't need it to do a credit check and the law does not require it, so why do they ask for it?