Tenants 'don't know their legal rights'

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A significant number of tenants are not aware of the legal rights and responsibilities that landlords have to comply with, a new study has suggested.

Data gathered by Community Legal Service Direct found that around two thirds of tenants did not know that they could stop landlords doing things like turning up at the property unannounced.

In fact, 63 per cent of tenants were unable to name any of their basic statutory rights.

Only three per cent knew that a landlord is only entitled to keep their deposit if they can prove that the property has been mistreated and just one in five renters knew that a landlord must serve notice on a tenant if they wish them to leave.

"It is alarming that many tenants are fighting their own battles rather than seeking professional advice when encountering problems, particularly when free advice is just a phone call away," commented John Sirodcar,head of Community Legal Service Direct.

The study also found that the most common cause of disputes between landlords and tenants centred on maintenance and repair work.

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