Are your tenants pulling their weight?
Did you know, a property that is rented out is not solely the landlord’s responsibility?
There are certain activities tenants are required to fulfil when occupying a property and behave in, what termed is as, a ‘tenant like manner’.
Are your tenants pulling their weight?
Warren vs Keen case 1953
The term 'tenant-like manner' comes from the judgement of Lord Denning in Warren v Keen back in 1953.
“The tenant must take proper care of the place. He must, if he is going away for the winter, turn off the water and empty the boiler; he must clean the chimneys when necessary and also the windows; he must mend the electric light when it fuses; he must unstop the sink when it is blocked by his waste. In short, he must do the little jobs around the place which a reasonable tenant would do. In addition, he must not, of course, damage the house wilfully or negligently... but apart from such things, if the house falls into disrepair through fair wear and tear or lapse of time or for any reason not caused by him, the tenant is not liable to repair it.” – Lord Denning (NRLA)
Examples
Here are some of examples of how the occupants of your property can behave in a ‘tenant-like manner’:
- Replacing consumables such as batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Changing light bulbs and fuses
- Unblocking sinks, toilets, and drains
- Maintaining cleanliness of the interior and exterior of the house or apartment
- Bleeding radiators
- Informing the landlord about any repairs that are needed
- Keeping windows free from condensation
- Abiding rules for pets and smoking inside the property
- Not to damage the house intentionally or through their neglect.
- Taking care of pests or vermin within the property
- General garden maintenance
- Providing access to have any repair work done
- Ventilating and heating the property properly
Summary
In summary, it’s not only landlords that are responsible for the upkeeping of their property, tenants must partake in the nurturing of their temporary home. Therefore, it is important for tenants to play their part to not only satisfy their landlord, but to improve or maintain their own standard of living.
However, tenants are not expected to repair any damage caused through fair wear and tear or the passage of time. You can find our blog on ‘Wear and Tear, Is It Fair’, here: http://nottinghamshireproperty.com/2021/07/05/wear-and-tear-is-it-fair/
