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Need legal advice now from a tenant solicitor?
Call, email or provide us with a few details of your matter, and we’ll help you to arrange an initial consultation. You’ll get:
- Unlimited time to discuss your matter with an experienced tenant solicitor
- An outline of your legal position in your issue
- A clear fee-quote and time frame to resolve your case
Resolving disputes cost-effectively
Identifying and evaluating relevant evidence
Preparation and representation for court
Best possible outcome for your matter
Popular eviction services.
Section 21
Section 8
Commonly asked questions.
For tenants, a legal issue is highly stressful, as it can leave you with uncertainty over your living arrangements, and spark numerous questions regarding your rights and available options. Therefore, our specialist tenant solicitors have answered some of the most commonly asked questions surrounding the topic.
1. What exactly is landlord and tenant law?
Landlord and tenant law is an umbrella term for the area of law that applies to legal issues between a landlord and a tenant.
At Britton and Time, our tenant solicitors offer support with the following services:
- Understanding your tenant rights
- The disrepair of a property
- Unlawful evictions
- Court representation
- Resolving landlord disputes
2. What are my rights as a tenant?
Unsurprisingly, one of the most common questions surrounding this area of law regards your rights as a tenant.
As a tenant, your rights are as follows:
- To know the identity of your landlord.
- To live in a property that’s safe and in a good state of repair.
- Have your deposit returned when the tenancy ends – and in some instances to have the deposit protected in a government-authorised scheme.
- Live in an undisturbed property.
- Receive a copy of the gas safety certificate and energy performance certificate.
- Be protected against unfair eviction or unfair rent charges.
- Challenge any excessively high charges.
3. Can a landlord evict a tenant?
If you’re a tenant under an assured shorthold tenancy, a landlord can legally evict you through a section 21 notice or a section 8 notice, providing the correct procedure has been carried out. If your landlord hasn’t followed the correct procedure or fulfilled their responsibilities, you may be able to contest the eviction notice.
Section 8
For a section 8 notice, the landlord must correctly serve the notice and site at least one of 17 valid eviction grounds with the applicable notice period. Examples of section 8 notice grounds may be the property being repossessed by a mortgage lender or persistent late payments of rent.
A tenant can contest the ground for eviction.
Section 21
In contrast, for a section 21 notice to be valid, the landlord must first give a tenant two months notice (currently 6 months because of the implementation of the Cornanvirus Act 2020). Additionally, the section 21 notice must be correctly served and fulfil some of the following requirements:
- The fixed term of the tenancy has ended, or it’s an open-ended tenancy.
- The tenant’s deposit is protected in a government-authorised scheme. A tenant must be served the prescribed information alongside a deposit certificate within 30 days after paying their deposit.
- The tenant hasn’t recently made complaints about the property. In a case where a landlord serves notice following a tenant’s complaint, it can be known as a revenge eviction.
- An “Improvement Notice” or “Notice of Emergency Remedial Action” hasn’t been issued to the landlord within the last six months.
- A tenant has received a copy of the gas safety certificate, an energy performance certificate and the Government’s ‘How to Rent Guide’ during their tenancy.
- The tenancy is more than four months.
- The correct procedure for serving the notice has been completed.
A tenant can contest the evicition if they feel the landlord hasn’t fulfilled their requirements.
4. How much do landlord and tenant matters cost?
The cost of landlord and tenant matters vary, depending on the type and complexity of the case. Therefore, regardless of your matter, our solicitors will always urge you first to arrange an initial consultation so we can understand all the details of your issue and offer a more accurate cost estimate for your case.
Any other landlord and tenant matters: you’ll need an untimed initial consultation, during which you’ll receive:
- Unlimited time to discuss your landlord and tenant matter
- Guidance on your legal standpoint and available options
- A clear fee-quote and time-frame for your case
5. What does a tenant solicitor do?
If you’re a tenant who’s been unfairly treated by your landlord and want to know your rights, our specialist tenant solicitors will help.
Our tenant solicitors guarantee the following:
- Resolving complex tenancy disputes cost-effectively and efficiently
- Examining and evaluating any evidence that may prove beneficial to your case
- Preparing any court or other documents and representing you
- Ensuring you get the best possible resolution to your matter
6. Do you offer legal aid for landlord and tenant matters?
Few tenant solicitors offer legal aid, and while we would love to, the government only appoints a tiny number of law firms to offer these services. So, for the time being, we can only accept privately funded cases.
Need legal advice now from a tenant solicitor in London or Brighton?
Tell us about your case and we’ll get back to you the same day.
Meet our expert landlord and tenant team.
Paul Britton
Managing Director and Solicitor Advocate
Sophie Campbell-Adams
Head of Property Law
Patrick Murray
Solicitor
Rory Lindsay
Trainee Solicitor
Why Britton and Time Solicitors?
Regardless of the type and complexity of your landlord issue, our tenant solicitors are here to help. With every case, our tenant solicitors work endlessly to ensure every client receives a fair outcome cost-effectively and efficiently. We’ll always guarantee:
Award-Winning Service.
You are our priority, and the law is our speciality. Our award-winning tenant solicitors in London and Brighton ensure you know exactly where you stand from a legal perspective so you can make a well-informed decision.
Full Billing Transparency.
No fee surprises. Ever. Our tenant solicitors will inform you from the outset on how much your case will cost, and we will do everything in our power to keep costs down and within your original fee estimate.
Regular Communication.
With fortnightly updates on your case, we will never leave you in the dark. Our tenant solicitors in London and Brighton ensure you know exactly how your case is progressing and are with you every step of the way.
Our reviews.
It’s not about how good we think our tenant solicitors are; it’s about what you think.
There are three things that make Britton & Time, and in particular Paul, stand apart from other law firms: knowledge, communication and a will to win.
Rated excellent by over 95% of our clients.
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Other landlord and tenant services.
Eviction
Landlord
Section 21
Section 8
Our tenant insights.
For more information and insights from our tenant solicitors, take a look at our landlord and tenant services.
Section 13 and Rent Increases
If you’re a landlord looking to increase rent on a property that you currently let, you need to serve a section 13 notice.
What Is A Section 146 Notice?
In this article What is a section 146 notice? Common reasons for serving What makes it invalid? Giving the tenant time Serving the notice If the breach isn't remedied What is a...
What Is A Section 21 Notice? Everything You Need To Know.
In this article What is a section 21 notice? Differences between section 21 and section 8 notices What makes it invalid? Common mistakes when serving notices How do you serve a...
Assured Shorthold Tenancy – Five Things You Must Know
In this article What is an assured shorthold tenancy? What criteria must be met? How long does it last? Most common eviction notices Responsibilities of the landlord What is an...
Section 8 Notice – 7 Things You Must Know
In this article What is a section 8 notice? Differences between section 8 & 21 Grounds and notice periods Common reasons for issuing a section 8 How do I apply for a section...
Section 13 and Rent Increases
If you’re a landlord looking to increase rent on a property that you currently let, you need to serve a section 13 notice.
What Is A Section 146 Notice?
In this article What is a section 146 notice? Common reasons for serving What makes it invalid? Giving the tenant time Serving the notice If the breach isn't remedied What is a...
Need legal advice now from a tenant solicitor?
Call, email or provide us with a few details of your matter, and we’ll be able to help you the same day.