Your tenancy agreement
You may have an assured shorthold tenancy
It's the most common type of tenancy agreement for students.
Your tenancy period will usually be for three to 12 months.
If the landlord wants the property back at the end of the tenancy period, he must give you at least two months written notice to leave, and he must let you know the date you must move out.
Some landlords let property on a 'term certain' basis
This means that they let their property for a specified length of time, for example for the academic year from September until June.
If you have this type of tenancy agreement you must live in the property for the length of the tenancy.
A joint and several liability tenancy covers everyone in your property
If the names of everyone living in your property are on the tenancy agreement, you're all liable for each other. So if someone doesn't pay their rent, everyone is equally responsible for paying the debt.
A verbal agreement can be legally binding
But it's always better to have a written agreement.
What should be included in my tenancy agreement?
Your tenancy agreement is between you (the tenant) and the owner of the property (the landlord or landlady) or managing agent.
It should include details of:
- your deposit
- your rent
- when you need to make each payment
- the date your tenancy starts and finishes
- the terms and conditions of your tenancy
- who is responsible for paying the bills.
Your inventory of contents
Your landlord may also ask you to sign an inventory (list) of the contents of the property.
Make sure that you check that all the items are there and are in good condition.
It's a good idea to take photos of the condition of items in your house - you can use these as evidence if there are any problems with your landlord at the end of your tenancy.
