Can you be liable for the things that your tenants do?

Tenants often behave badly.  Sometimes very badly.

People affected want someone to blame for this – can they blame the landlord?

For example neighbours affected by anti-social tenants?

The general answer is “no” you cannot make one person liable for the actions of another.  However there are exceptions.

My new article on Landlord Law takes a look at the exceptions and explains when they apply – and when you will or will not be liable for the bad things tenants do in your property.

For example, the type of situations where you will (probably) be liable include:

• Knowingly allowing tenants to use the property for criminal purposes
• Issues in common areas – if you manage them, and
• Under s4(1) of the Defective Premises Act 1972

One of the messages of the article is that this is another reason why regular inspections of your property are important – so you know what is going on (so make sure you use our Property Inspection Kit).

For example, if you discover that the property is being used for criminal purposes, you should report it to the relevant authority.  Don’t ‘turn a blind eye’.

Overall – you should be all right.  But keep an eye on things and be try to act in a responsible way.

Members will find the article here.