Advice about renting privately

Advice about renting privately including how to find a house, your rights as a tenant and housing benefit advice.

Finding a privately rented property

Need help with finding a rented property? View our help and advice page on finding a rented property.

How to rent: the checklist for renting in England. This guidance is for people who are renting a home privately under an assured shorthold tenancy, either direct from a landlord or through a letting agency.

Housing Benefit

Housing Benefit can help you pay your rent if you’re unemployed, on a low income or claiming benefits.  

Tenant rights and responsibilities

Your landlord, or their agent, has legal responsibilities to manage your tenancy fairly and to keep your home up to a decent standard.

The Housing Options team can provide advice on the rights and responsibilities of private tenants, landlords and agents. We aim to prevent homelessness and investigate allegations of harassment and illegal evictions within North Norfolk’s privately rented sector.

We can advise and assist tenants at risk of losing their homes or worried about their current housing situation. We can work with you and other agencies to prevent homelessness. In certain circumstances the team can consider offering financial assistance.

You can find further advice on the Shelter and government website if:

• you need to check if your tenancy deposit is protected
• you don't have a tenancy agreement, or you don't understand it

• if your landlord's safety responsibilities is meeting standards

• your landlord or their agent is bothering or harassing you at home
• your landlord is trying to evict you
• you've asked your landlord for repairs or complained about conditions in your home

If you're a private tenant or private landlord, you can find more information on private renting on the Shelter website and the government website. They cover repairs, rent increases and arrears, settling disputes, deposits and your rights and responsibilities as a landlord or tenant.

Empty properties

You can find more information about help with empty properties on our website.

Make a complaint

If you have a complaint about a private landlord or letting agent, contact them directly. If you need further advice about making a complaint visit our page complaining about a private landlord or visit the Shelter website.