After securing new tenants, it’s vital you have them sign a tenancy agreement to ensure that both yourself and the tenant are aware of all the terms and conditions and obligations of the tenancy.
Completing a written agreement at the start of the tenancy period will legally document the terms of the tenancy. This agreement will then need to be signed by yourself (or your agency) as well as the tenant. Finally a completed copy should be shared with all parties.
Items to include in the tenancy agreement:
1
Names of landlord and tenants.2
The full address of the property that will be rented.3
The rental fee that will be charged.4
The way that tenants should pay rent to you (e.g. Bank transfer, cheque etc).5
The process you will use if you wish to increase the rent.6
State if the tenants have to pay any household / utility bills.7
The amount of the tenants’ deposit.8
The way that you will protect the tenants’ deposits.9
Any situations (where terms of the agreement are broken) in which you would deduct money from their deposit.10
The start and end date of the tenancy agreement.11
Whether there are any specific responsibilities for the landlord or the tenant.12
Any other specific requirements (for example, will the tenant be allowed pets at the property).13
State if sub-letting will be accepted.14
In the occurrence of rent arrears or other breaches of the agreement, state whether you will serve a section 8 notice to terminate the tenancy early.It’s important to know
that you cannot take away your tenants’ rights even if they sign an agreement which attempts to restrict them.
Please be aware
You cannot include any terms in the tenancy agreement that could be considered unfair or could breach the law.
