Draft tenancy agreements
A tenancy agreement sets out both a landlord and a tenant’s responsibilities and rights. A properly prepared tenancy agreement drafted by an experienced tenancy agreement solicitor reduces the risk of disputes later.
- When drafting a tenancy agreement, we will discuss the following:
- Reasonable restrictions. Would you like to prohibit your tenant from smoking, having pets, making alterations to the property, playing loud music, etc?
- Rent and service charge details. What is your pricing structure? How frequently do you plan to adjust the rent? Are there any penalties for late payments?
- Bills. Who will pay the bills and council tax?
- Deposits. How much deposit will you request? If the annual rent is less than £50,000, you cannot ask the tenant to pay more than five weeks’ rent as a deposit.
- Fixtures and fittings. Consider including an inventory of fixtures and fittings as part of a record of the property’s condition at the beginning of the tenancy.
- Access. How often will you access the property? Generally, you must provide a tenant 24 hours’ notice before visiting.
Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, you are responsible for ensuring that your property stays secure, well-maintained, and suitable for human occupancy. Your tenant is responsible for the daily maintenance of the property. The tenancy agreement will specify each party’s responsibilities in detail to reduce the chance of misunderstandings.