Renfrewshire Council

A guide to renting for private (non-council) tenants

Renting from a private landlord, your tenancy agreement, your responsibilities as a tenant, help with paying your rent, repairs to your home, evictions, private residential tenancies.

Renting from a private landlord

You can rent different types of properties available for rent in Renfrewshire, ranging from flats to detached houses.

You can check if the landlord is registered with us by searching the Scottish Landlord Register or phone our licensing team on 0300 300 0300.

You can also check if your landlord is listed on the Landlord Accreditation Scotland website. 

If you have any doubts as to whether a landlord is registered, we advise you to not rent their property.

You can find information on your rights and repsonsibilites as a private tenant, including repairs issues and illegal evictions on the Renter's Rights website


Your tenancy agreement

Your landlord must give you a tenancy agreement at the beginning of your tenancy. 

You can have this in writing or by email, whichever is agreed between you and your landlord.

A tenancy agreement will normally include:

  • details of the amount of rent you will pay
  • period of payment
  • method of payment
  • any review period for changing rent levels
  • your responsibility for payment of council tax
  • service charges
  • utility and other charges

Landlords must also carry out annual gas safety checks on gas appliances and check any electrical equipment in the property. 

Your landlord should also provide you with a copy of an energy performance certificate, which should be displayed in the property you rent.

A landlord may also provide you with a list of all items, known as an inventory, in a property. We recommend that you make a list of all items should your landlord not provide this inventory.


Your responsibilities as a tenant

As part of your responsibilities under your tenancy agreement, you are expected to

  • look after the property you rent
  • pay your rent on time
  • tell your landlord about any repairs that are needed.

You are also responsible for the repair of any damages to the accommodation, or the replacement of any of the fixtures, fittings and items in the inventory that are lost or broken.

You also need to give the landlord reasonable access to the property.


Help with paying your rent

If you rent from a private landlord and you can't pay your rent, there are temporary emergency measures from the Scottish Government to support you.

You can also find out about your housing rights in the cost of living crisis, including the rent freeze, eviction ban and housing costs, on the Shelter Scotland website.


Repairs to your home

Your landlord must make sure the property is:

  • wind and watertight
  • structurally sound
  • has appliances that are in proper working order,
  • has operational smoke alarms installed; and
  • has an operational carbon monoxide detector.

Private landlords must carry out repairs to make sure the property meets repairing standards. You should tell your landlord if you need a repair to the property, preferably in writing or by email.

If your landlord doesn't do the repair within a reasonable timescale, you can make complaint with the Housing and Property Chamber.

They can serve an enforcement order or a rent relief order. This means you can withhold your rent until the outstanding repair has been carried out. Your landlord could also be removed from the register of landlords.

Before the Housing and Property Chamber is able to intervene, you must provide evidence that your landlord has failed to carry out a repair to a property.

If you can't make a repairing standard complaint to the Housing and Property Chamber, we may be able to help you make a complaint. For more information contact the Communities and Environment team on 0300 300 0300.


Evictions 

A landlord cannot evict you from your home unless they follow certain legal procedures. 

The landlord must send you a:

  • legal notice telling you that they intend to ask the court for permission to evict you
  • 'notice to quit'.

You can find out about your housing rights including the eviction ban on the Shelter Scotland website.


Private Residential Tenancies

The Private Residential Tenancy give more greater security to private tenants, and safeguards to landlords and investors.

You can find more on information about the Private Residential Tenancy on the Scottish Government website.