The housing and homeless charity Shelter and Citizens Advice have some very useful advice for those renting their homes.
Below are links to some common problems when renting from a private landlord.
The Council does have powers to deal with certain types of repairs and poor housing conditions however you are advised to put your request for repairs in writing to the landlord before taking the matter further.
Some less responsible landlords may issue a notice to quit if you ask for repairs. The law has given some protection to tenants whose tenancy started or was renewed after 1 October 2015. Unfortunately, tenancies before this date have no such protection from eviction.
As stated above you should give your landlord a reasonable opportunity to deal with problems you are experiencing at your rented accommodation. If, however you are unable to resolve the matter then you can contact the Council. An officer will normally then get in touch with you to discuss the matter and agree a way forward.
Many calls to us are about concerns with damp and mould caused by condensation in your home. We have produced an advisory leaflet which can be found here and Citizens Advice also has some helpful information.
This link gives general advice about what to do if you think your home is overcrowded. It also gives the legal standard which we would apply when we visit your home.
This type of house is often called a house in multiple occupation (HMO). These often take the form of bedsits with shared facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms.