Homelessness: Advice for private tenants

Repairs and property condition

It is your landlord’s duty to carry out repairs and maintain the property, and make sure it meets safety standards.

Find out more about your landlord's safety responsibilities - GOV.UK

Landlords must ensure that any gas equipment is safely installed and checked annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer. You must be given a copy of the gas safety check.

You have a right to live in a heated home of at least 18C. All privately rented properties are legally required to have an Energy Performance Certiﬁcate (EPC), with a minimum rating of E. You can ﬁnd an energy certiﬁcate on the government website.

Find an energy certificate - GOV.UK

Properties with a rating of F or G must be improved to at least an E rating, unless the landlord has been granted an exemption.

You can report a private rented housing problem to the Council online by visiting: Information for tenants

Help with Homelessness

If you’re homeless or worried about becoming homeless, you can contact the Homelessness Team for advice and support. No place to stay tonight Call the Out of Hours Service on 01709 336009 (Option 4). Open Monday to Friday, 6pm to 8:30am, and 24 hours on weekends and bank holidays. Not urgent Call the Homelessness Team during office hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm) on 01709 336009 (Option 4). Online help You can also contact the team using the online form below:

Telephone: 01709 336009