I want to be careful here about two things. First, I’m not a solicitor and nothing in this article is legal advice — if you’re dealing with a serious dispute, speak to a professional. Second, I want to be practical rather than just listing statutes. So what I’m going to try to do is focus on the situations that actually come up in Dartmouth rental properties, based on what people have told us over the years, and what tenants here often don’t realise they’re entitled to.
Your Deposit Has to Be Protected
This is the most consistently misunderstood issue I come across. Your landlord must register your deposit with a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme within 30 days of receiving it, and they must give you written details of which scheme it’s in. This is a legal requirement, not a courtesy.
If they haven’t done this — and some landlords in this area, particularly those with older properties they’ve been letting informally for years, sometimes haven’t — you are entitled to claim between one and three times the deposit value in compensation, and they cannot legally serve you a valid Section 21 notice until they rectify it. Check which scheme your deposit is in. You can do this on any of the three government-approved scheme websites. If you don’t know which scheme it’s in and your landlord hasn’t told you, ask — in writing.
Repairs Are Your Landlord’s Responsibility
A landlord’s repair obligations are set out in law, and they include maintaining the structure and exterior of the property, keeping heating and hot water in working order, maintaining gas and electrical installations, and keeping the property free from serious hazards. This is not discretionary. A landlord cannot decide that fixing the boiler is not their problem. They cannot make you pay for a repair that is their legal responsibility by deducting it from your deposit at the end of your tenancy.
The practical issue in a place like Dartmouth is that the rental market is tight enough that tenants sometimes feel they can’t push back on repair issues without risking their tenancy. This fear is more understandable than it is well-founded — under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, you have real legal protections when you request repairs. If a landlord retaliates against you for requesting a lawful repair, that itself creates legal liability for them.
Report repairs in writing — a text or email is fine, as long as it’s in writing. This creates a timestamp and a paper trail. If the repair isn’t addressed within a reasonable timeframe (and “reasonable” depends on the severity — a broken boiler in December is an emergency, a sticking door handle is not), you have escalation options including Shelter, Citizens Advice, and if necessary your local council’s private rented sector team.
Section 21 and What’s Happening to It
As of the time of writing, the Renters (Reform) Bill is working its way through Parliament with the intention of abolishing Section 21 “no-fault” evictions. The timeline for this has slipped several times, and I’m not going to make any predictions about when or whether it will fully come into force. What I will say is that if you receive a Section 21 notice, you should immediately check whether it was validly served — there are quite specific requirements, and incorrectly served notices can be challenged. Shelter’s website has a step-by-step checker for this.
The Right to a Safe Property
Your landlord must ensure the property has working smoke alarms on every floor and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a solid fuel appliance (and increasingly for gas appliances too, following 2022 changes to regulations). Gas appliances must be checked annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and you are entitled to see the Gas Safety Certificate. Electrical installations must be inspected at least every five years and you’re entitled to a copy of the Electrical Installation Condition Report.
If any of these are missing or out of date, asking for them is not unreasonable — it’s your right. A landlord who responds poorly to a reasonable request for legally required safety documentation is telling you something important about how they approach their responsibilities.
Where to Get Help
Shelter has excellent free resources online and a telephone helpline. Citizens Advice can help you understand your specific situation. South Hams District Council has a Private Rented Sector team that can be contacted if you’re dealing with an unresponsive landlord on a serious issue. And if something has gone genuinely wrong, a housing solicitor who does legal aid work can sometimes help if you’re on a lower income.
Don’t assume because Dartmouth is a small, pleasant town that landlord-tenant relationships are always uncomplicated. Most are. But knowing your rights before you need them is always better than trying to work them out under pressure.