What is a Tenancy Agreement?
A Tenancy Agreement is a contract for an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) between Landlord and the Tenant, stipulating the terms and conditions of their rental agreement.
A Tenancy Agreement does NOT need to be written unless the fixed-term of the tenancy is greater than 3 years, otherwise it can be an Oral Tenancy Agreement. However, it is strongly advised to have the agreement in a written contract so there is no confusion of the terms and conditions.
There are various types of Tenancy Agreements available, but all of them should contain the following:
- Dates: The date on which the agreement was made.
- Landlord Details: The name and address details of the Landlord(s).
- Tenant Details: The name and address details of the Tenant(s).
- Property Details: The address details of the property being rented.
- Term: The start and end date of the tenancy. This is usually referred to as the “fixed term”
- Rent: This should include the amount of rent to be paid, the method and the date of payment.
- Deposit: This should include the amount of the deposit to be paid (if applicable), and what the deposit will cover.
- Depsoit Scheme: This should contain the Tenancy Deposit Scheme the deposit is secured in.
- Landlord’s Obligations: This should include the responsibilities of the Landlord.
- Tenant’s Obligations: This should include the responsibilities of the Tenant.
- Other Special Provisions: This should include any other special provisions agreed upon between the parties, such as pets, smoking, sub-letting, etc.
- Signatures: Both the Landlord(s) and the Tenant(s) need to sign both Tenancy Agreements (the landlord’s and tenant’s copy).
- Witnesses: It is not legally necessary to have witnesses signing the Agreement. However, it is useful in cases where the signatures are disputed by either of the parties.
What can and can’t be written in a Tenancy Agreement is stipulated in the Housing Act 1988 with the Housing Act 1996.
Obtaining your Tenancy Agreement
There are many sources of obtaining a Tenancy Agreement, some even for free. However, it is important to get your copy from a reputable supplier that is distributing up to date and legal versions. We sell Tenancy Agreements that have been created by award winning professional solicitors for only £4.99. Buy a Tenancy Agreement from us today.