A tenancy agreement is a legal contract between the landlord and tenant. The landlord provides a property and agreed services for a period of time in return for rent. The law concerning property letting and renting places responsibilities on both tenants and landlords.
Tenancy agreements can be written or verbal and should set out clearly how the property is to be managed. The best tenancy agreements are written and reliable ones can be obtained through national landlords bodies, for example. Organisations like Citizen's Advice can check agreements to see if they are up to standard.
Conditions in a tenancy agreements cannot diminish the statutory rights of a tenant, nor can they place unfair conditions on the tenant.
Click on a heading for more detail about the main things a tenancy agreement should cover and where to go for support and information.
Responsibilities – information about the responsibilities of landlords and tenants
Paying rent – how much the rent is, what it covers, when it is due, and what to do if you are having difficulty paying it
Tenancy deposits – how much a deposit is, what it covers, how it should be paid, how it is protected and what happens at the end of a tenancy
Property care and repair – what is provided, how it should be cared for and who should repair what
Other conditions – what other conditions may affect the tenancy
Ending a tenancy – how long a tenancy is for and how it can be ended
Where can I get advice and information about tenancy agreements?
If you have a solicitor or agent or are a member of a landlords' association, then contact them for advice about specific tenancy agreement issues. The following websites give general advice and access to local advisors.
Citizens Advice Bureau - Independent advice website
Community Legal Advice - Independent legal advice website
DirectGov - Central government advice website
Landlords Associations - Independent advice from landlords' representative bodies
Office of Fair Trading - leaflet on unfair tenancy agreement terms
Shelter - Advice from national housing charity website
Information on this page was correct when it was written. Please contact the Policy and Performance Team on 01748 827028 or email landlords@richmondshire.gov.uk with any amendments or additions.
Pages in this section
- Landlord and tenant responsibilities
- In development
- Paying Rent
- Responsibilities when paying rent and advice on arrears
- Tenancy Deposit Scheme
- In development
- Property Care and Repair
- About who should do what to look after rented properties
- Other Tenancy Conditions
- Other tenancy conditions information
- Ending a Tenancy
- Information on ending a tenancy
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Last updated:
04 June 2008
