You must be aware of your rights as a renter to avoid falling foul of the minority of lettings agents and landlords who will seek to take short cuts at your expense and save themselves money. This section will give you Information on renting a home such as health and safety issues, and advice to help you deal with any problems you come encounter.

Rented accommodation is available from three main providers: private landlords, local councils and housing associations. You can also find out more about housing options for disabled people, students and people aged 60 and over.

There are different types of tenancy agreement and most people have one of three types:

• An assured shorthold tenancy
• An assured tenancy
• A regulated (or 'protected' tenancy)

The type of tenancy you have depends on when it was taken out.

If you start renting a property now, the rent is less than £25,000 per year and you do not live in the same house as the landlord, the tenancy will automatically be an assured shorthold tenancy (unless your landlord agrees otherwise in writing). This section explains your rights and responsibilities under this kind of tenancy.

In law, a resident landlord letting is where the landlord and the tenant live in the same building. This includes conversions where they live in different parts of the same property (however long ago the property was converted) but excludes purpose built flats, with landlord and tenant in different flats.

Resident landlord lettings differ from other types of tenancy in two ways: rent and security of tenure. This means that tenants:

• Do not have a right to challenge the level of rent that he or she has agreed to pay
• Can be given less notice to leave if the landlord wants to end the letting

If you live in a household where you share facilities with more than one person who is unrelated to you, your council will call this type of accommodation a ‘House in Multiple Occupation’, or HMO. From 6 April 2006 certain types of HMOs will have to be licensed. Your local housing authority may also decide that other properties in its area must be licensed, even if they are not HMOs.

As a tenant you have rights that are protected by law. Despite this, it can be difficult to sort out problems with your home, but there is plenty of advice and support available to help you.