Ashfield, Mansfield and Newark and Sherwood District Councils work collaboratively to provide a landlord forum to benefit private landlords in all of the three districts.
The private sector housing team works with home owners, landlords and tenants to improve housing conditions in the private sector. There are minimum standards that apply to all housing and the aim of these standards is to ensure that homes are safe to live in
If you live in a private rented property and your home needs repairing, you should:
Contact your landlord (see your tenancy agreement for contact details).
Allow a reasonable amount of time to carry out repairs. Certain jobs should be carried out more quickly than others (for example a toilet should be unblocked within 24 hours whereas a dripping tap may be repaired within a much longer timescale).
If you require immediate assistance (for example there is a strong smell of gas or faulty electrics), inform your landlord. If they are unable to offer help immediately then phone the relevant emergency number for those services.
If your feel home is dangerous and your landlord fails to carry out the repairs, you should contact the Private Sector Housing Team on 01623 463212 who will arrange to inspect the property.
Harrassment and illegal eviction
A landlord must follow strict procedures if they want a tenant to leave their property (depending on the type of tenancy agreement in place).
If your landlord doesn't follow the procedure correctly, they may be guilty of illegally evicting or harassing you.
You can seek guidance about evictions and harassment through the Private Sector Housing Team.
More information can be found at the following link Private renting for tenants: evictions (opens in a new window).
Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme
If you started renting out a room after 6 April 2007, your landlord must place your deposit in a tenancy deposit protection (TDP) scheme and must inform you which scheme it has been placed into as well as other information. At the end of your tenancy agreement if both you and your landlord agree on how much deposit you'll get back then your deposit should be returned to you within 10 days. However, if you do not agree then your deposit will be held within the tenancy deposit scheme until the dispute has been resolved.
If your landlord has not protected your deposit within one of the TDP schemes then you can take civil action via the County Court.
For more information on this see Deposit protection schemes and landlords (opens in a new window).
As a tenant living in a private rented property you have certain rights, but you also have responsibilities to both your landlord and neighbours.
Rights
You have the right to:
- Live in a property which provides a healthy and safe environment
- Not be required to carry out repairs which are the landlord's responsibility
- Have your deposit protected in one of the three tenancy deposit schemes available
- Have a tenancy agreement
- Not be threatened with harassment and illegal eviction
- Have the name and contact details of your landlord.
Responsibilities
Your responsibilities include:
- Keeping up to date with your rent and bills
- Taking care of the property and not causing damage
- Being responsible for your household and visitors
- Asking permission from your landlord where it is needed
- Having consideration for your neighbours and not causing a nuisance or antisocial behaviour
- Complying with the terms of your tenancy agreement and ending your tenancy agreement properly
- Not causing any intentional damage to the property, as you will be responsible for putting this right
- Not withholding your rent - even if you are waiting for repairs to be completed
- Not storing excess rubbish in your garden
- Not leaving your bins on the street
- Not contaminating your recycling bin.
More information can be found on the shelter website at Tenant responsibilities (opens in a new window).
What should I do if I think a property should be licensed but isn’t?
You can check with us to see if it's already been licensed, or simply tell us the address and other information you think is useful.
We will treat the information in complete confidence.
For further information or advice please contact us on 01623 463212 or email adminpsh@mansfield.gov.uk.