Can a landlord restrict a tenant's clutter, furniture and storage?

In England and Wales, a landlord’s control over clutter, stored items and furnished-let furniture usually comes from the tenancy agreement, not a general right to manage the tenant’s housekeeping. Scotland and Northern Ireland should be treated separately unless the rule being used is UK-wide or Great Britain-wide.

Can a landlord complain about a tenant's clutter?

A landlord can complain about a tenant’s clutter in England and Wales, but there is no general statutory right to demand ordinary tidiness unless the clutter breaches the tenancy agreement, damages the property, blocks access rights, or becomes a serious health issue. Landlord Law’s practical summary is blunt: “You, the landlord, are not entitled to go in and demand that they keep it to your standard of cleanliness.” Extreme cases can move into statutory-nuisance territory, but that is normally a council enforcement route rather than a landlord’s private tidiness power: the Environmental Protection Act 1990 covers “any premises in such a state as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance.” The workable route is the tenancy clause: the ARLA Propertymark model AST requires the tenant “to keep the Premises and any Fixtures and Fittings in a clean and tidy condition throughout the Term.” So the complaint should be framed as a tenancy breach, safety concern or access problem, not personal disapproval of mess.

Can you restrict what a tenant stores in the garage or garden?

A landlord can restrict what a tenant stores in the garage or garden in England and Wales by a clear tenancy clause, but a ban on a lawnmower, barbecue or “too many” ornaments must be fair, specific and connected to safety, damage, nuisance, access or proper use of the premises. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 says: “A term is unfair if, contrary to the requirement of good faith, it causes a significant imbalance in the parties' rights and obligations under the contract to the detriment of the consumer.” A stronger clause bans hazardous or excessive storage rather than ordinary garden items; the ARLA model AST says tenants must not keep “dangerous or inflammable goods, materials, or substances” except those needed for general household use. Petrol has its own Great Britain threshold: HSE says, “You can store up to 30 litres of petrol at home or at non-workplace premises without informing your local Petroleum Enforcement Authority (PEA).” A landlord can also require written consent before the tenant stores the landlord’s fixtures or fittings in a garage, if the clause is reasonable and clearly drafted.

Can a landlord refuse to remove furniture from a furnished let?

There is no statutory definition of “furnished” in England and Wales, so a furnished let is governed mainly by the inventory and the items present when the tenant agreed to take the property. Civil Help states the key point directly: “There is no statutory definition of a "furnished" tenancy in England.” A tenant therefore has no automatic right to force the landlord to remove furniture that was included at viewing, sign-up or inventory stage; the OpenRent forum summary is: “As it stands, you have no legal right to require the landlord to remove furniture that was present when you viewed the property.” A clause stopping the tenant from removing or disposing of furniture the landlord deliberately left behind is usually sensible, provided it does not excuse unsafe or unlawful furniture. The hard rule is fire safety: the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988 require supplied covered furniture to pass the match test, stating that “the cover shall pass the match test in Part I of Schedule 5.”

Last reviewed August 2026.

Sources

• Landlord Law Blog — “You, the landlord, are not entitled to go in and demand that they keep it to your standard of cleanliness.” Source
• Environmental Protection Act 1990 s.79(1)(a) — “(a)any premises in such a state as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance;” Source
• ARLA Propertymark model AST cl.8.2.2 — “To use the Premises in a Tenant-like manner and to take reasonable care of the Premises including any Fixtures and Fittings and to keep the Premises and any Fixtures and Fittings in a clean and tidy condition throughout the Term.” Source
• Consumer Rights Act 2015 s.62(4) — “A term is unfair if, contrary to the requirement of good faith, it causes a significant imbalance in the parties' rights and obligations under the contract to the detriment of the consumer.” Source
• HSE petrol storage guidance — “You can store up to 30 litres of petrol at home or at non-workplace premises without informing your local Petroleum Enforcement Authority (PEA).” Source
• ARLA Propertymark model AST cl.8.7 — “Not to keep any dangerous or inflammable goods, materials, or substances in or on the Premises apart from those required for general household use.” Source
• ARLA Propertymark model AST cl.8.13.1 — “Not to remove any of the Fixtures and Fittings from the Premises to store the same in the loft, basement or garage (if any) without obtaining the Landlord's prior written consent, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, and then to ensure that any such items are stored safely and upon vacating the Premises, to leave the same in the places in which they were on the Commencement Date.” Source
• Civil Help — “There is no statutory definition of a "furnished" tenancy in England.” Source
• OpenRent Landlord & Tenant Forum — “As it stands, you have no legal right to require the landlord to remove furniture that was present when you viewed the property.” Source
• Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988 reg.8 — “(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) below, if furniture (other than mattresses, bed-bases, pillows and cushions) is supplied with a cover on it, the cover shall pass the match test in Part I of Schedule 5 to these Regulations.” Source