What is a tenancy agreement

Is there anything that should be in the agreement?

What should be in it?

• the landlord's and tenant's names and the address of the property which is being let


• the date the tenancy began


• details of whether other people are allowed the use of all or part of the property and, if so, which parts


• the duration of the tenancy, that is, whether it runs out on a certain date, in which case it is a fixed term tenancy, or whether it has no fixed term, in which case it is a periodic tenancy


• the amount of rent payable, how often and when it should be paid and how often and when it can be increased. The agreement could also state what the payment includes, for example, council tax or fuel


• whether the landlord will provide any services, for example, laundry, maintenance of common parts or meals, and whether there are service charges for these


• the length of notice which the landlord and the tenant need to give if the tenancy is to be ended. There are statutory rules about how much notice should be given. These rules vary depending on the type of tenancy and why it is due to end.


• The agreement may also contain details of the landlord's obligations to repair the property, although it is rare for agreements to go into details. Repair obligations are mostly statutory and will depend on the type of tenancy, so you will need to check the tenant s housing status.