Guidance for tenants

Essential guidance on renting

• The Checklist for Renting in England - This government guide will help you and your landlord to get everything in order from the start of your tenancy.
• The Code of Practice for the Private Rented Sector - This guide sets out what the lettings industry expects of your landlord and/or letting agent.
• The Government has drafted a Model Tenancy Agreement for use in the private rented sector where a Shorthold Tenancy is being entered into. It comes with accompanying guidance.
• Electrical Safety First website - provides information for tenants on staying safe in their home.
• Fire Safety at Home - Essex County Fire and Rescue Service provides a variety of information on fire safety within your home.
• How to rent a safe home - This government guide provides information for private renters on how to rent a safe home.

What to do if you have concerns about your rented home

If you are concerned that your rented home does not meet the required housing standards, you should in the first instance contact your landlord or managing agent.

We recommend that you use our Tenant Toolkit which provides letter templates and guidance to help you and your landlord/managing agent resolve your concerns.

All letting agents and property managers must be a member of a government approved property redress scheme. This means that tenants, prospective tenants and landlords in the private rented sector can complain to an independent person about poor service from letting agents and property managers.

Check if the agent/manager for your home is a member of one of the approved schemes and contact the scheme if you feel they are not acting appropriately.

Find out more about the Property Redress Scheme (PRS)

If you live in a House in Multiple Occupation, where you share facilities like the bathroom or kitchen with other residents, there are further requirements that apply. Find further information.

Once you have followed the above steps, if you feel that your landlord/managing agent is failing to take action to address the issues you have raised with them, you can make a complaint about the condition of your property to the Private Sector Housing team.

We will investigate this for you in a accordance with our published Private Sector Housing Enforcement and Civil Penalties policy.

Submit a complaint

Protection from eviction

You are entitled to raise concerns about your rented home with your landlord or property manager and to expect a professional response.

Some tenants worry that if they ask their landlord to deal with the concerns raised they may be asked to leave. Most landlords will not do this and would, in fact, prefer to know about the problem. However, if your landlord does threaten to end your tenancy, or takes any other unwanted action as a result of you raising the problem then you should contact us immediately.

Since October 2015 new tenancies have additional protection from eviction where the advice in our Tenant Toolkit is followed.

Other sources of advice

• Colchester Borough Homes provides advice on housing options.
• Shelter is a housing and homeless charity that provides free housing advice.
• Citizen's Advice also provides free housing advice.
• Essex Law Clinic in the School of Law | University of Essex provides free housing advice.
• The Housing Rights website provides help to immigrants and their advisers.