Knows your rights | Housing

There are several different categories of tenancy and each one gives you different rights and responsibilities. 

• Assured Shorthold Tenancies are held by most people who rent from a private landlord who does not live with them; 
• Regulated Tenancies or Assured Tenancies may be held if you began renting your home before a certain date. For Regulated Tenancies, this is before 15 January 1989 and for Assured Tenancies this is generally if you moved in between 15 January 1989 and 27 February 1997 and your landlord has not given you notice that you have been instead issues with an Assured Shorthold Tenancy. Both of these types of tenancies tend to have stronger rights for tenants; 
• You would generally be classed as a Lodger if you live with your landlord; 
• You have a Joint Tenancy if you and the other tenants all signed a single tenancy agreement with a landlord when you moved in. If your tenancy agreement has other named tenants on it then it will be a Joint Tenancy. 

You can usually tell what type of tenancy you have by looking at your tenancy agreement but, if you’re unsure, you can use Shelter’s tenancy checker to find out more. 

Once you graduate, you might need some help and support and, depending on your circumstances, you might be eligible to claim benefits. To see what you could be entitled to, and to read up on the system, you can visit the Citizens’ Advice Bureau website

Housing issues can cause lots of stress and anxiety, but if you need advice and support, there are lots of organisations that can help you. 

Visit the Advice UK website for a full list here.