Residents rights

Your right to a written lease

When you buy your new home you must be provided with a written lease either by your solicitor or your landlord. This is the legal contract between you and your landlord and it should give you information about the terms under which you will own your home.

The lease document should tell you:

• the full name and address of your landlord
• that your landlord is registered with the Housing Corporation
• that you have the right to live in your home from a set date until the end of your lease
• your rights and responsibilities
• your landlord's rights and responsibilities

The lease is legal and binding on you and your landlord and it should be explained clearly to you by your landlord and your solicitor.

Your right to be consulted about changes to your lease

You must be consulted about any changes your landlord wants to make to your lease. Generally, no changes can be made without your written agreement and if your lease says that other leases on the same estate will be on similar terms, any change needs the agreement of all leaseholders.

However, your landlord can apply to have the changes imposed upon you by a court order if you cannot reach agreement.

Your right to stay in your home

Generally you have the right to stay in your home until the end of your lease as long as you keep to the conditions set out in your lease and pay all the charges due.

Your landlord should make every effort to help you stay in your home but can apply to the courts to have your home taken from you if you:

• fail to pay service charges, which you have agreed or which have been set by a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal
• break any other condition of your lease

Your right to live peacefully in your home

Your landlord must not interfere with your right to live peacefully and quietly in your home. Your landlord should have policies and procedures for dealing with anti social behaviour by residents.

Your right to be treated fairly by your landlord

Your landlord must behave without unfair discrimination towards residents and applicants, ensuring that services are accessible to everyone. There must be a publicly available equal opportunities policy and procedure for dealing with any form of discrimination and harassment on the grounds of race, gender or disability.

Your right to see information held about you

You have the right, under the Data Protection Act 1984, to see certain information which your landlord holds about you on computer. You are also allowed reasonable access to other personal information held about you or members of your family, unless it was given to your landlord, in confidence, by a third party.

If you disagree with any of this information, you have the right to correct it or to record your disagreement.

Your landlord should tell you how and when you can see your personal information.

Your right to make improvements to your home

You may be able to make certain improvements to your home yourself, such as installing a new kitchen or bathroom. Your lease should tell you what you may or may not do. You will probably have to ask for written permission first, but your landlord cannot refuse without good reason.

Council Tax

All residents are responsible for paying their own individual council tax.

Water and sewage charges

Residents are responsible for the payment of water and sewage charges.

Gas and electricity

Residents are responsible for the payment of their own gas and electricity bills.