Tenant Rights in the UK: How Long Can a Landlord Leave You Without Hot Water?

Renting out a property, especially for residential purposes, is quite common in the UK. The Private Rented Sector makes up around 19% of the total housing sector in England, with more than 4.5 million houses rented out in the private sector. 

The prevalent Law in the UK protects the rights of both the landlords and the tenants. The law, titled "Landlord and Tenant Act 1985", as amended from time to time, is the basic set of rules and regulations that provides the required legal protection to both of the parties, the landlord and the tenant. The Act provides a complete guideline to the tenants as well as the landlords to enter into a workable tenancy contract. It includes guidance about their rights and responsibilities. It also defines what they can do and what is not permissible, as a tenants or as landlords.

Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords

The prime responsibility of a Landlord is to provide a peaceful, well-maintained, decent, and comfortable home to the tenants, with all the basic amenities being readily available without any interruption. The amenities may include electricity, gas, heating, and hot water.

The first and foremost important obligation of a landlord is to fulfill legal documentation before renting out a property. This may include:

• Licensing Obligation – Any property falling under the category of HMO, additional HMO, or selective licensing, must obtain a license before offering his property for renting. Here, HMO means, "House in Multiple Occupation". Any house in a multiple occupation, having 5 or more than 5 occupants falls under this category, for which the landlord must have a license to rent it out.
• Get the Property ready for renting out – The landlord needs to get the property ready for renting. It should be fit for safe accommodation, with all necessary facilities, such as gas, electricity, hot water supply, heating arrangements, and safety devices. It should also be ensured that the property is properly checked for gas safety and that a valid gas safety certificate is in place. The landlord also needs to ensure that the furniture provided in the house meets the prevalent safety standards. Other safety devices such as gas leak detectors, Carbon monoxide detectors, and fire safety alarms are in perfect working condition.
• Legal Obligations – Before entering into a tenancy agreement, the landlord needs to ensure that all the legal requirements are complied with. It may include, the legal requirement of a tenant being more than 18 years old. Similarly, the tenancy deposit also needs to be deposited in a Government-approved deposit protection scheme.

Rights and Responsibilities of a Tenant

The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, provides equal rights to the tenants, while also assigning some responsibilities. The rights and responsibilities of a tenant are summarized below.

Find a New Home

Finding a new home in the Private Rented Sector needs careful consideration. It may include the following important points to note.

• Check your affordability.
• Check whether you are legally allowed to rent in the UK.
• See whether you need to hire the services of a letting agent or you can do it directly.
• Check the legal requirements and complete the paperwork that may be required. Ensure all paperwork is done strictly per the prevailing rules and regulations.

Responsibilities of a Tenant

Once you have entered into a tenancy contract, you are liable to fulfill your responsibilities as a tenant. These may include the following:

• Pay the agreed rent of the home on the agreed dates, without any delay.
• The utility bills, such as electricity and gas bills are the responsibility of the tenant. Ensure that the bills are paid well within the due dates. Any delay in paying these bills may result in serious consequences for the tenant.
• The tenants are not allowed to sublet the property to anyone. They are also not allowed to bring in lodgers for any temporary accommodation.
• Tenants are required to ensure that the neighbors are not disturbed by any of their activities. They should keep in consideration, the rights of the neighbors.
• Use the electric and gas appliances and safety devices properly installed on the property. If required, they must get help from the landlord to understand how to operate these appliances and devices.
• If at any time, a defect or malfunctioning is observed in any of the appliances, the same must be reported to the landlord, instantly.
• The tenants are also required to maintain the cleanliness of the property. They are also required to maintain the overall upkeep of the property, furniture, and all other installations.

Rights of a Tenant

Side by side with various responsibilities, a tenant also has some rights, once entered into a tenancy agreement. Under the prevailing law, the tenant has the following rights, which must be fulfilled by the landlord:

1. The landlord must give a copy of the gas safety certificate to the tenant.
2. The tenant also has the right to demand a copy of the Energy Performance Certificate from the Landlord
3. The landlord is legally bound to provide information to the tenant about the Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme. 
4. The landlord must also provide a copy of the "How to Rent Guide" to the tenant.
5. It is the responsibility of the landlord to ensure structural maintenance, including the exterior of the property.
6. The landlord is required to ensure an annual gas safety check.
7. The landlord is not allowed to enter the rented-out property without prior notice and permission of the tenant.

How Long Can a Landlord Leave You Without Hot Water?  

Landlords are legally bound to provide all the required facilities to the tenant, including gas, electricity, heating, supply of hot water, and so on. He is also responsible for ensuring the uninterrupted supply of all these facilities, especially the heating and hot water supply. In the event of a fault or breakdown of any of the appliances such as a boiler, the landlord must fix the problem at the earliest. It is even more important in case of a stoppage in the supply of hot water, especially during the cold season.

Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 allows the tenant to make sure that the repair of any faulty appliance must be done within a "reasonable time". But there is no explanation given about the “reasonable time”. However, it is expected for the landlords to act swiftly in case of an emergency, which may include an interruption in the heating or hot water supply. In such an emergency, it is expected from the landlord to get it fixed within 24 hours.

Hence, in case of a boiler breakdown or any other such situation that results in the stoppage of the hot water supply, the landlord must react within 24 hours to get the problem resolved.

Important

Under the provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the landlord is responsible for ensuring that the entire property must remain warm enough during the winter. Accordingly, the temperature in the living area needs to be maintained at 21°C and 18°C in the sleeping room, when the outside temperature is below 1°C. So, the landlords need to ensure that the boiler must be in perfect working condition during the entire winter season.

Conclusion

Renting and letting a house is a routine process in the entire world, including the UK. Accordingly, the relevant authorities in the UK have formulated various rules and regulations on tenancy matters. Mainly, these rules and regulations aim to protect the rights and impose certain responsibilities on both landlords and tenants.

The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 defines the landlords' and tenants' rights and responsibilities. Hence, being a tenant, you must be aware of your rights as well as your responsibilities. As a basic norm, one should make sure to fulfill his responsibilities before claiming any rights. So, every landlord and tenant needs to be completely informed about tenancy matters before entering into a tenancy agreement.