Tenancy Agreement

A tenancy agreement is the contract between a landlord and a tenant that sets out the legal terms and conditions of the tenancy. It gives the tenant the right to live in the property and obliges them to pay rent and follow the agreed rules. The agreement can be written or verbal, but written agreements are strongly recommended because they provide clearer evidence of what was agreed.

A valid tenancy agreement will usually state things like. Who the landlord and tenants are, the address of the property, the rent and how it can be increased, the deposit and how it will be protected, what bills the tenant must pay, repair responsibilities, and how either side can end the tenancy. It cannot lawfully include terms that try to remove basic rights, for example protection from unlawful eviction or add banned charges beyond permitted payments.

Under the Renters’ Rights Act reforms, most private tenancies in England will move onto open-ended assured periodic agreements, with Section 21 “no-fault” evictions abolished and rules on rent increases, rent in advance, discrimination and redress strengthened. Tenancy agreements must be updated to reflect this new regime, but they remain subject to housing law.