Rental Agreement

Our Rental Agreement can be used to create a formal tenancy agreement between a landlord and tenant.

A rental agreement is just another phrase to describe an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement. An assured shorthold tenancy or AST is the most popular type of tenancy agreement used by landlords to let property. To explain in more depth what a rental agreement , we set out  a short description of the AST combined with the main clauses found in the tenancy agreement.

Assured Shorthold Tenancy

Rental agreements are based on the Housing Act of 1988. This act states that the property to be let must be separate accommodation to the landlord’s home, the tenant must use it as their main home and that the tenancy must be for a single individual.

A rental agreement is used for a short, fixed period of time, typically 6 to 12 months. The tenant is able to stay in the property for the fixed period, which is agreed upon by the tenant and landlord. There is also a fixed rent for this period.

After the agreed period has ended, the landlord can serve a possession order to allow him/her to immediately take possession of their property. The landlord can remove the tenant without legal reason if the fixed period has ended. If the landlord does not wish to provide a new tenancy they must provide the tenant with 2 months' notice to end the tenancy, even thought the fixed period is due to come to an end at that time. The landlord could, on the otherhand, decide to let the same tenant sign a new agreement for a new fixed period.

Rental Agreement Template

The rental amount is clearly stated at the top of the rental agreement document, along with the rental period. This part of the agreement makes prevents the landlord does not try to charging excessive rent or changing the rent during the period without the tenant's agreement. The ony wat the landlord can do this is if the agreemnt contains a provision allowing the landlord to increase the rent at a specific time during the period. If the tenant has signed the agreement they will be bound by the higher rent when it is introduced,  provided it is reasonable.

 As well as the main provisions regulating the rights and obligations of the landlord and tenant, there are notices included in the template for use in cretain situations such as a notice of non payment. The addenda can be used to cover such things as animals, furnishings, and policies and rules.

Further information on legal issues affecting landlords and tenants can be found in our personal document Law Library such as our Guide to Getting Landlords Advice and article on Notices to Terminate: A Cautionary Tale.