We recommend landlords prepare a set of house rules for
tenants before they enter a property.
These should be provided alongside a tenancy agreement covering
the legalities and issues involved in a tenancy such rent
levels and notice periods.
However, landlords need to clarify house rules
separately and take the following into account when creating
them:
- Landlords are not entitled to impose their lifestyle
rules upon tenants
- They must not discriminate against anyone because of their
gender, race, religion, ethnic origin or sexuality
- They need to be clear, direct and firm with landlords prepared
to enforce them when required otherwise they will be ignored and
ineffective
- They should not just be a list of negative statements
with tenants encouraged to respect the rules as being fair and
reasonable
The following are some examples rules which landlords may
wish to include:
- Tenants are fully responsible for the behaviour of guests
ensuring they follow any house rules
- Animals or pets are allowed in a property but only with the
written permission of the landlord
- Animals or pets are not allowed within the property
including the garden area
- Tenants must respect their neighbours ensuring they do not
use any sound-emitting device which will annoy or disturb them
as everyone is entitled to a reasonable degree of peace and
quiet
Other examples include setting rules for lost keys, rubbish,
parking, wall hangings, posters and keeping a garden
tidy.
