How can I handle difficult tenants?

At a glance

• Before letting your property out, it’s important to run checks on any prospective tenants.
• You have the right to expect on-time rental payments and to claim for any damage to your property that goes beyond wear and tear.
• While you don't have the right to enter your rental property without the tenants’ permission and notice, or to evict them without due process, there are things you can do if you're dealing with problem tenants.

Rental properties can be a good investment, but a lot of their success and profitability will come down to the tenants. Landlords may hope to find tenants who pay their rent on time and treat the property with respect, but there are always going to be exceptions.

Read on for some tips for landlords on how to minimise the chances of getting into difficulties with your tenants, as well as how to deal with any challenging situations that may arise.

Potential problems with tenants

Some of the potential problems you may encounter as a landlord include:

• Property damage. A certain amount of wear and tear is to be expected, but if it crosses the line into damage – of the fixtures, furnishings or the property itself – you could encounter problems. This is why it’s vital to have suitable landlord insurance in place.
• Rent arrears. It can be difficult if your tenant is having trouble paying the rent, particularly if there’s a valid reason for it, such as loss of income or relationship breakdown. You may be able to offer leniency in certain situations or give the option of payment plans, but you may also simply come across unruly tenants and need to start the eviction process.
• Noise or antisocial behaviour. If your tenants are getting into disputes with their neighbours for being too noisy or causing a disturbance, try to encourage communication between the two parties before things escalate. Make sure that your tenants are aware of their responsibilities too – ideally have a section in the tenancy agreement on neighbour disputes.
• Refusal to leave. Some tenants may refuse to leave when asked and could ignore eviction orders. You may need to start legal proceedings in some cases.
• Illegal activities. There’s always the chance that your tenants could be engaging in illegal activities in your property. This is why it’s important to conduct regular inspections, and if you spot anything untoward, notify the police.

Dealing with problem tenants is never nice to contemplate, but hopefully, a lot of issues could be resolved with effective communication. This includes specifying expectations in the tenancy agreement ahead of time, and opening lines of communication as soon as any problems arise.

Preventing landlord tenant problems

Below are a few things that landlords can do to try to prevent any problems arising at a later date.

Make an inventory

Your first line of defence against tenant disputes is a proper inventory of the condition and contents of your buy-to-let property before the tenancy begins. The best way to do this is to pay an independent party to carry out the inspection (your letting agent is unlikely to be considered independent).

You can do it yourself, but if you later need to rely on the inventory in a dispute, you’ll need to bear in mind that your word (as opposed to an independent party) may not be considered as reliable. Therefore, if you do decide to take care of this yourself, you should look to take photos of the property (with a date stamp) to establish its condition prior to letting it out.

Choose your tenants wisely

One of the best ways to avoid tenant problems as a landlord is to choose your tenants wisely in the first place, and you can run some background checks as part of this process.

You can do this yourself, or a letting agent (preferably one that’s registered with the Association of Residential Letting Agents) can help you by checking a tenant’s:

• credit rating
• employment status and income
• references

You’ll also need to check their right to rent in the UK. The Right to Rent check is a mandatory process in England that ensures your tenant can legally live and rent a property in the UK, and landlords can face significant fines if they’re unable to provide the necessary proof. Find out what you need to do on the Government website.

Landlords can also choose to meet their prospective tenants.

Bear in mind that the Renters’ Rights Act has made it illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants who have children or receive benefits.

If landlords are concerned about a tenant’s ability to pay the rent, they could ask for a guarantor. A guarantor is typically a relative or close friend of the tenant who agrees to pay the rent if the tenant is unable to, which reduces the risk to the landlord.

Landlords/letting agents will check the potential guarantor’s income and credit history to see if they are suitable.

Be specific in your tenancy agreement

The tenancy agreement should cover every eventuality so there’s less chance for disputes to arise in the future. For example, make sure to specify whether tenants can undertake any DIY or home improvement projects – even simple things like hanging pictures. If things aren’t in writing, it can be more difficult to prove fault at a later date.

Document everything

Once the tenancy has been agreed, you should keep records of everything, including all financial transactions, communications from the tenant and any maintenance issues that crop up. Make sure to have everything in writing so you have evidence should you need it in the future. This becomes particularly important if you’re facing problems – always log any disputes or issues that arise so you can refer back to them if necessary.

Another document you’ll need to keep hold of is your certificate of landlord insurance. Having a suitable policy is essential to protect your interests, with the right one able to cover your rental property against tenant damage and even providing protection against void periods and lost money if your tenants can’t pay the rent. This ensures you can still keep up with your buy-to-let mortgage payment obligations even if your tenants are unable to pay.

Maintain good communication

It’s important to maintain good communication with your tenants. For example, if they contact you with a repair or maintenance issue, make sure to have it dealt with as quickly as possible. Regular inspections can also help ensure that your tenants are treating the property well and give you the opportunity to rectify any problems before they go too far.

As a landlord, it's important to be aware of the rights your tenants have regarding the condition of the property, rent payments and more. See our guide to learn more about tenant rights in the UK.

Know your rights as a landlord

Even if you’ve conducted checks and taken precautions, you may still encounter problems with your tenants. If so, what rights do you have as a landlord?

Payment of rent

You should have a written tenancy agreement in place setting out the amount of rent payable and when.

• Try to get your tenant to pay their rent by standing order. This can reduce the chances of a tenant accidentally missing a payment.
• If your tenant doesn’t pay rent for a set period, and no solution is forthcoming, then you have the right to serve your tenant an eviction notice. However, there is a procedure you need to follow when doing this (see below). You can also attempt to reclaim any unpaid rent.

If you’re letting through an agent, make sure to check the terms and conditions before signing an agreement. Letting agents generally offer two types of service:

1. an introduction service, or
2. a full property management service.

Check what your agent covers as part of their managed service should your tenant defer payment. Some letting agents offer arrears management, whereby they chase arrears subject to a pre-agreed arrears management process and collect missed payments or arrears as part of their contract with you.

Raising the rent

• Since the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act on 1 May 2026, landlords can only increase the rent they charge a maximum of once per year. They can do this by serving a section 13 notice, giving tenants at least two months’ notice.
• Any rent increases have to be justifiable and not exceed the market rate. This is the rent a landlord could get if they newly advertised the property to let and should be comparable to similar properties in the local area.
• Tenants can challenge any rent increases they believe are unfair.

Neglect and damage of the property

Your tenants have a level of responsibility to keep your buy-to-let property clean and in good condition, and will also be expected to complete basic maintenance, e.g. change light bulbs and use the heating system responsibly.

However, damage caused by tenants or their visitors is not uncommon. Whether by accident or on purpose, there will always be tenants who cause damage to your rental property.

• While you are responsible for most repairs, if damage is caused by the tenant, then you should be able to claim the repair costs back.
• The tenant is obliged to stick to the terms of the tenancy agreement regarding matters such as the keeping of pets – if damage or maintenance is required because of this, you can make a deduction from the tenant’s damage deposit or ask them to pay for the cost of repair.
• The exception to this is for ‘fair wear and tear’ such as to carpets or other furnishings. You can’t charge the tenant for these.
• Whenever you propose to charge a tenant, make sure you have proof that the damage was caused while the property was occupied by them. You’ll want to take photos (and refer to those from your inventory) and should properly cost the level of damage caused, complete with quotes to back you up if the tenant chooses to dispute the figure.
• If the damage is considered way beyond ‘fair wear and tear’ and the tenant will not either repair it themselves or pay for the cost of repair, you are within your rights to deduct the sum of money from their deposit to cover the cost. You could also go through a legal process to ask the tenant to repair the damage at their expense; there are specialist tenant eviction services that could help you do this.

What you can’t do

It’s important to remember that your tenants have rights too, and there are a few things that you’re not allowed to do as a landlord.

For example, it is illegal for landlords to enter a rental property without prior agreement from the tenant. Landlords have rights to ‘reasonable’ access to carry out repairs for which they are responsible, but, unless it’s an emergency, you will always need to get permission from the tenant with at least 24 hours’ notice. If you don’t follow this process, you could be prosecuted for harassment.

You also can’t keep hold of your tenants’ deposit without good reason. Landlords must put their tenant’s deposit in a Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDP) scheme. If you want to make a deduction from the deposit – perhaps due to damage the tenants caused to your property – you must be able to prove that the damage was their fault, and you’ll need to back up why you need to deduct the amount by providing quotes for any cleaning or repairs needed.

Even if you’ve exhausted all other reasonable options and want your tenants to leave, it’s important to follow the correct eviction process.

How to evict a difficult tenant

Eviction should never be the first port of call – effective communication may be able to help resolve matters – but, if landlords deem it necessary, it is possible to evict problem tenants.

The Renters’ Rights Act (which came into effect in England on 1 May 2026) banned section 21 “no fault” evictions. Landlords in England can now only evict tenants for specific reasons.

For example, landlords can start the eviction process if a tenant owes at least three months’ rent (13 weeks’ if rent is paid weekly or fortnightly) or if they are persistently late in paying it. They will need to serve a section 8 notice and give at least four weeks’ notice.

If tenants damage the property, breach the terms of the tenancy agreement or show anti-social behaviour, for example, landlords also have the right to evict them. They may be able to start proceedings immediately or by giving two weeks’ notice, depending on the reason.

If a tenant doesn’t leave by the given date, landlords will need to apply for a possession order through the courts. They will typically have up to 12 months to apply to the court to evict them.

If the possession order is granted and the tenant still does not comply, you can apply for “warrant of possession”.

See the Gov.uk website for more information, and seek professional advice if necessary.

Note that different rules apply for landlords in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.