Advice for landlords
As a landlord, you have responsibilities and legal duties. You are expected to provide living accommodation that is safe and in good condition. You can read more about your responsibilities as a landlord on the Government’s website.
We are committed to making sure our Wychavon residents have access to good quality accommodation and they are treated fairly by landlords and property owners.
We will do this in the first instance by working with landlords to try and resolve issues raised with us by your tenants and to offer advice. If necessary we do have a range of enforcement powers we can use to take action against landlords not living up to their legal responsibilities.
On this page you will find information to help you keep up to date with regulations and good practice, as well as practical support and help we can offer you as a landlord.
I am struggling to afford mortgage repayments
If you have fallen behind in your buy-to-let mortgage payments then do not delay. The moment you notice you are in arrears contact your lender to discuss your options. There are a range of things they can do including reducing monthly interest payments, temporarily converting to an interest only mortgage or increasing the period of time over which a buy-to-let mortgage is repaid.
You can also Contact National Debtline, who will be able to offer confidential debt advice.
I have pests in my property
It is your responsibility to remove pests from your property.
You can Find a Pest Controller on the British Pest Control Association website.
Can I evict the tenant in my property?
There are strict rules you must follow if you want to evict your tenant or tenants. Failure to follow these rules could result in you being prosecuted for harassment or illegal eviction. Read about the eviction procedure on the Government’s website.
Only a court appointed bailiff can legally evict a tenant.
Letting your property to a tenant on Universal Credit or Housing Benefit
Universal Credit or Housing Benefit is designed to help people on benefits or on a low income with their rental payments.
When accepting a tenant receiving housing benefit you may need to consider if the rent is set in accordance with the Local Housing Allowance Rates.
Read more about Local Housing Allowance Rates.
Find out what the Local Housing Allowance Rate up until March 2023 is in Wychavon.
Read the landlords guide to renting to tenants on Universal Credit on the Government’s website.
I would like to rent out my property
If you have a property you would like to rent then we provide an assisted letting services to private landlords through Wychmove, our social lettings agency. Find out how we can help you.
If it is the first time you are renting out a property then you can read more about your responsibilities as a landlord on the Government’s website.
My tenant is claiming Universal Credit
You most likely won't notice a change with your tenant receiving Universal Credits payments.
Read the landlords guide to renting to tenants on Universal Credit on the Government’s website.
Housing standards enforcement powers
We will always try to work with landlords to resolve issues raised by tenants and provide support if possible. We will not though accept people living in unsafe or poor quality accommodation. Where we have had to take action against landlords, the amount they have been ordered to pay and the cost of dealing with what is a time-consuming process is often significantly more than what it would have cost to deal with the original issue. If we contact you about an issue you are encouraged to work with us so we can resolve the matter to the benefit of everyone involved.
Read our Civil Penalty Notice Policy for information on our enforcement procedure and powers.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Private sector landlords are required by law to have at least one smoke alarm installed on every storey of their property. They should also install a carbon monoxide alarm in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance (e.g. a coal fire or wood burning stove).
You should also make sure checks are made to ensure that each alarm is in proper working order on the day a tenancy begins if it is a new tenancy.
Your can be fined up to £5,000 for not complying with this regulation.
Read smoke and carbon monoxide alarm guidance for landlords and tenants on the Government’s website.
If we have reason to believe that:
- There are no or insufficient number of smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors in the property as required by the regulations or;
- The smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors were not working at the start of the tenancy or licence.
Then we will serve you as the landlord, in a method prescribed by the Regulations, a remedial notice detailing the actions you must take to comply with the Regulations. If after 28 days you have not complied with the remedial notice a penalty charge notice shall be served. The maximum penalty charge is £5,000. You can request in writing, no later than 28 days from service, that the remedial notice or penalty charge notice be reviewed by us and we must consider the representation. A landlord may appeal the notice to confirm or vary the penalty charge notice to the first tier tribunal.
Statement of principles
Under Regulation 13 of the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 we are required to publish our statement of principles which is as follows:
Where a local housing authority is satisfied, on balance of probabilities, that a landlord on whom it has served a remedial notice is in breach of the duty under the Regulations, the authority may require the landlord to pay a penalty charge of such an amount as the authority may determine.
The amount the penalty charge must not exceed is £5,000. When determining the amount for a penalty charge notice - Wychavon District Council will consider:
- A suitable financial penalty for the breach to act as a deterrent for the future.
- Average cost of undertaking works in default
- Property type including number of storeys and commercial/residential mix.
- Partial or full breach
- Number of tenants living in the property
- Whether a repeat offence. and
- Officer time and costs to investigate and serve a remedial notice assessed on a case by case basis.
This statement of principles was published on the Wychavon District Council website on 16 October 2015.
Right to rent checks
You must check that a tenant or lodger can legally rent your residential property in England.
Find out more about right to rent checks on the Government’s website.
Renting to someone who is homeless or threatened with homelessness
We understand some landlords are concerned about renting to people who are homeless or at threat of being made homeless. We offer two schemes to help offer reassurance to landlords their property will be protected and they will not lose our financially if they do rent to someone who is homeless or threatened with homelessness.
Rent Deposit Payment Scheme
The Rent Deposit Payment Scheme aims to help homeless people or those threatened with homelessness who are in priority need, find decent, affordable homes.
A Rent Deposit Payment means that we will pay a Deposit and/or one month’s rent on the tenant’s behalf. The Rent Deposit will be paid to you as the landlord directly by us. At the end of the Tenancy you will refund the payment to us unless there are any claims against it, which should be notified to us within the time allowed. It also offers you support with the tenancy because we want to make sure that the tenancy works for both you and the tenant.
If you need to make a claim for any arrears or damages that may have occurred, they will usually be paid within seven days of the receipt of the claim.
The Rent Deposit covers damage, breakages, rent arrears and cleaning where required. We will only cover claims up to the value of the deposit.
As a landlord the scheme offers you:
- A guarantee to meet the deposit or deposit and one months rent.
- Assistance with Housing Benefit claims (if appropriate).
- The opportunity to re-let when your Tenant leaves.
- Fast payment of Rent Deposit - usually within seven days.
- One contact point for both landlord and tenant.
- Free advice to Landlords.
- The chance for you to meet the tenants before you accept them.
Rent Deposit Guarantee (“Bond”) Scheme
A Rent Deposit Guarantee (Bond) involves us guaranteeing up to one month’s rent as a deposit, for a set period of time. Money does not change hands and nothing is paid to you as the Landlord at the start of the tenancy. The tenant will need to set up a saving plan to cover the bond, for when we withdraw our guarantee. If you as the landlord need to make a claim for any damages that may have occurred, you will usually be paid within seven days of the receipt of the claim. We will then investigate the claim. The tenant will be responsible for paying the money back to us. The scheme also offers landlords support with the tenancy because we want to make sure that the tenancy works for both the tenant and the landlord.
The Bond covers damage, breakages, rent arrears and cleaning where required. We will only pay claims up to the value of the Bond.
The Bond scheme offers landlords the following benefits:
- A guaranteed bond to meet the deposit.
- Assistance with Housing Benefit claims (if appropriate).
- Monthly visits to your property.
- The opportunity to re-let when your tenant leaves.
- Fast payment of Bond Claims - usually within seven days.
- One contact point for both landlord and tenant.
- Free advice
- The chance for you to meet the tenants before you accept them
Landlord Forum
We hold an annual Wychavon and Malvern Landlord Forum to build good relationships and inform landlords and letting agents of legislation changes that may affect them. The aim of the forum is to ensure that landlords keep their properties maintained at a high standard. We invite guest speakers from various professional backgrounds, as well as the National Landlords Association and the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government.
If you would like to register your interest to attend the next landlord forum, please email the Private Sector Housing team at
