Do I have to pay for damage a housemate caused to their own room?Beta*
Housemates, guests and pets
Private renting in England since the Renters' Rights Act 2025, unless the question says otherwise. General information, not legal advice.
It depends on your contract. If each of you has your own tenancy for your own room, you are only responsible for your room, plus a fair share of anything in the shared areas that can't be pinned on one person. Damage inside someone else's room is theirs to pay for. If you all signed one joint tenancy for the whole house, you are "jointly and severally liable": the landlord can claim the full cost of damage or unpaid rent from any one of you, and it's then up to you to recover it from the person responsible. Check which contract you have before you agree to any deductions from a shared deposit.
Sources: Shelter: joint tenancies
More on housemates, guests and pets
See all the renting questions, or the free advice services for help with your own situation.
Savvy Renter — savvyrenter.co.uk · free tools for renters. Answers checked 15 October 2026. The full list is also published as faq.json.
* Beta: new page, not yet reviewed by a housing adviser. General information, not legal advice.
* Beta: new page, not yet reviewed by a housing adviser. General information, not legal advice.