Tenant rights in a house share: what you can expect

10 minute read

This guide is for people renting a room in Ashton-under-Lyne, Stalybridge, Hyde and across Tameside, in any house share, not only ours. The law is the same across England, so you can use it to check your own agreement. It covers tenancy, notice, rent, repairs, access and what to do if something goes wrong.

What type of tenancy do you have when you rent a room?

Since 1 May 2026, almost every private let to an individual as their only or main home is an assured periodic tenancy. That means a rolling monthly tenancy with no set end date, and no Section 21 notice. Each room let separately is its own tenancy, so your rights do not depend on what your housemates do.

The same rules apply whether your room is in Ashton-under-Lyne, Hyde, Stalybridge or anywhere else in Tameside. A lodger living with a resident landlord is different. If your tenancy began before 1 May 2026, it became periodic on that date, and old terms such as a fixed term or a rent review clause have no effect.

Before you sign, you should be given a written statement of terms. It sets out the rent, the deposit, whether bills are in the rent, your notice period, the rent rise rule and your right to ask to keep a pet.

How do you give notice to leave a house share?

Notice to leave a house share is simple. You give at least two months in writing, and a landlord can never require more than that. Any written form counts, including a letter, email or text. A shorter time only applies if the landlord agrees in writing.

1. Put it in writing. Say which room and the end date you want.
2. Allow two months. Count at least two months from the day you give it.
3. End on a rent day or the day before. This keeps the final rent period clean.
4. Get it confirmed. Ask for the end date back in writing.
5. Pay rent to the end. Rent is due until the tenancy ends, unless agreed otherwise.

Example, assuming your rent day is the 1st: you give notice on 28 October 2026. Two months from then is 28 December, so the tidy end date is 31 December 2026, the day before the next rent day. You can only withdraw a notice if your landlord agrees in writing. If your agreement pre-dates 1 May 2026 and set a shorter notice period, check it, because it may still apply.

Can your landlord increase your rent?

Only in a set way. A rent rise needs a Section 13 notice on the official Form 4A, every time, even if you are happy with the new figure. A rent review clause in an old agreement, or a rise agreed by text or email, has no effect on its own.

• Two months' notice. The notice must give at least two months, and the new rent starts at the beginning of a rent period.
• Once a year. The first increase cannot come sooner than 52 weeks after your tenancy began, and each later one not sooner than 52 weeks after the last.
• You can challenge it. Apply to the First-tier Tribunal before the new rent date if you think the rise is too high.

Nobody should pressure you to accept a rise. Check any letter is on Form 4A and gives enough notice. Our Renters' Rights Act overview shows how the changes fit together.

How is your deposit protected? Deposit protection for tenants

Within 30 days of receiving your deposit, your landlord or agent must protect it in an authorised scheme and give you the prescribed information. Anyone who paid on your behalf, such as a parent, must receive it too. An email from the scheme on its own does not count. At North Point, deposits are protected with the Deposit Protection Service, which holds the money itself.

If your landlord does not comply, a court must order a penalty of one to three times the deposit. The deposit cap is five weeks' rent, and North Point takes two for a room. See room rental costs and fees for the numbers, or our rooms for each deposit.

Getting your deposit back

At the end, the landlord compares the room with the inventory. If you agree a deduction, the Deposit Protection Service pays out within two business days. If not, it goes to free adjudication. The landlord must prove every deduction and cannot charge for fair wear and tear.

What repairs and safety standards must your landlord meet?

Your room must be fit to live in throughout the tenancy. The landlord must repair the structure and exterior, and keep water, gas, electricity, sanitation, heating and hot water working, within a reasonable time. Tameside Council can also act on hazards such as damp and mould, cold, fire and pests.

Those are North Point's response times. National emergency numbers are on our tenants page, and you can report a repair on our repairs page.

Damp and mould

Report it early, in writing, with a photo. A proper response looks for the cause and fixes it, rather than only suggesting you open a window. Awaab's Law is being considered for private homes, but it has no start date yet.

Safety checks you are owed

• Gas. A Gas Safe check every year, with a copy of the record.
• Electrics. An inspection at least every five years.
• Alarms. A smoke alarm on every storey, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, tested on day one.

Landlord access: how much notice must you get?

For landlord access with 24 hours' notice, the rule is clear. A landlord can inspect at reasonable times on 24 hours' written notice. Viewings and non urgent contractors need notice and your agreement. Only a genuine emergency justifies entering immediately. You also have the right to quiet enjoyment of your room. At North Point we give at least 24 hours' notice before visiting, except in an emergency.

What counts as harassment and illegal eviction?

Nobody can make you leave without a court order. To end a tenancy a landlord needs a Section 8 ground, a valid notice and then a court order. It is a crime to evict someone without one, or to harass them to make them leave. Examples:

• Changing the locks. Or stopping you getting in.
• Removing your belongings. Or throwing them out.
• Cutting off services. Such as electricity, water or heating.
• Threats and repeated unannounced visits. Used to push you out.

If this happens, write down dates and keep messages and photos. Contact Tameside Council and an independent advice service or solicitor straight away. Receiving a notice does not mean you have to leave on that date.

Can a landlord refuse you for having children or claiming benefits?

No. A landlord or agent must not make you less likely to rent, or stop you renting, because you have children or receive benefits. That covers adverts, viewings, information and refusals. A term in a contract that discriminates in this way is void. Affordability checks and guarantors are still allowed, as long as they are applied equally. Read how we do that in our referencing and affordability guide.

The Equality Act 2010 also bans discrimination in letting because of sex, race, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity. If you are disabled you can ask for reasonable adjustments.

Can you keep a pet in a rented room?

Your written statement explains your right to ask. At North Point, you ask in writing and we reply within 28 days, considering every request fairly. A landlord cannot charge a pet deposit or a pet fee, and a blanket refusal is not good practice.

What to do if something goes wrong

Start by telling your landlord or agent in writing. If that fails, use these routes.

North Point's complaints route

Write to Josie Bentley, Director. We acknowledge a complaint within 3 working days and send a full written response within 15 working days. If you are still unhappy, a different director reviews it within another 15 working days. After that, or after eight weeks, you can refer it free of charge to the Property Redress Scheme, of which we are members (PRS048881), within 12 months. See our complaints procedure.

Common mistakes

• Giving notice by word of mouth. Put it in writing.
• Reporting damp late. It is far easier to fix when small.
• Stopping rent over a dispute. Keep paying while you complain.

You can see our available rooms in Tameside, each with the terms above.