The tenancy agreement is your contract with the landlord and sets out their legal rights and responsibilities as well as yours as a tenant. Read through the agreement thoroughly before you sign it. Ask as many questions as you can think of about the property and the tenancy.
If you do not understand anything or think that any of the terms are unfair then seek advice. Once you have signed the contract it may not be that easy to get out of it, so make sure you are happy with it. Remember, a tenancy agreement is a legally binding contract.
A tenancy agreement can be written or verbal, although if you find the property through Studentpad we require the landlord to use a written agreement.
There are many different types of agreement:
Licence agreement
If you are living with your landlord you are likely to have a licence agreement rather than a tenancy agreement. This gives you fewer rights than a tenancy agreement, so make sure you check the terms carefully and seek advice if you are unsure of anything.
Assured shorthold tenancy (AST)
This is the most common type of tenancy agreement. It gives the tenants exclusive possession of the property for a fixed term, usually six or 12 months. ASTs can be single or joint tenancies.
Single tenancy
You will be renting a room with access to communal areas in shared accommodation on an individual basis. This means you may not have any choice over who else lives in the house.
Joint tenancy
You will be renting the house as a group and all the tenants’ names will be on the contract, and will be jointly and severally liable for the rent. This means that if one of you doesn’t pay their share the landlord can pursue the rest of the tenants or their guarantors for it.
If you have any questions about a tenancy contract or are unsure about something on it, contact the accommodation office for advice.
If you have more specific or detailed questions please contact our housing advice officer.
