TENANTS of rented accommodation have been given a Top Ten Tip list on how to get the best deal from landlords by the Residential Landlords Association, one of the UK's leading professional associations for landlords.

The checklist covers health and safety advice as well as guidance on how tenants can protect their interests if there are any disputes, especially over controversial deposits.

Alan Ward, the RLA chairman, said: "The Residential Landlords Association is about protecting the best interests of the private rented sector and everyone in it. Good landlords deserve good tenants and vice-versa. So it is in everyone's interests to set out agreements clearly at the start."

The Residential Landlords Association advises tenants to:

1) Read your tenancy agreement - it sets out your rights. Always make sure the landlord is using a tenancy agreement that has a "PLAIN ENGLISH" Crystal mark. This will mean that the agreement is written in a way you can understand. A sample is available, free of charge, from the RLA website or from www.tenantdocs.co.uk

2) Make sure that you get a detailed inventory. It should list the condition of all the contents for which you are responsible, including the garden if there is one. Make sure you read it and agree it with your landlord. Then sign it and date it.

3) Always make sure you get a written receipt for your deposit. And don't deduct your last month's rent - that's illegal.

4) Make a note of the readings of gas, electric and water meters as you move into the property.

5) If the property has any gas appliances - fires, cooker, central heating - make sure each one has a CORGI Gas Safety Certificate before you start the tenancy. If there isn't one then DO NOT move in. The landlord will be acting illegally - and you may die if the appliance is defective.

6) Don't let repairs mount up. If the property needs repairs, make sure you list these in writing and agree completion dates. If the deadlines are substantially broken the landlord may have a case to answer. Only offer to do the work yourself if you know what you are doing. Agree this with the landlord - along with a cost and how it will be paid or deducted from future rent.

7) If you have pets, make sure you get written permission from the landlord. It is quite normal for the landlord to require another two weeks' deposit from you, to cover the prospect of pet damage to the property, as well as asking you to pay for two lots of flea treatment. One would be when you leave, and another three months later to deal with any larvae that may subsequently hatch.

8) Don't dry your washing over radiators and then complain about damp. Use a dryer, if provided, or the bathroom where there should be a proper ventilator. Do not take on a property that appears to have damp. It may injure your health.

9) Make sure the landlord or the letting agent is present when you check out. The landlord is not allowed to then "discover" other problems after the final check-out.

10) Pay your rent when it is due. If you have a problem, contact your landlord, sooner not later.