Tenancy Agreement Checklist
What a letting contract must actually cover.
Free, no sign-up. 8 sections, 41 checks. Edit it to fit your own transaction.
Most tenancy disputes are about something the agreement did not say. Who replaces a broken appliance, how much notice is needed to inspect, whether the garden is the tenant's responsibility, what happens if one of several tenants leaves — all of it is cheap to write down in advance and expensive to argue about later.
Tenancy law is heavily local and frequently overrides what a contract says. Treat this as a list of subjects the agreement must address, then have the wording checked against the rules that apply where the property is.
The parties and the property
- Full legal names of every tenant, not just the lead one
- Landlord full name and an address for service of notices
- Agent details and what they are authorised to do
- Full property address including which parts are let and which are shared
- Whether anyone may occupy who is not named as a tenant
Term and renewal
- Start date and end date, or the basis of a periodic tenancy
- What happens automatically at the end of the fixed term
- Notice each party must give, and how it must be delivered
- Whether there is a break clause, when it can be used and by whom
- Any renewal procedure and by when it must be exercised
Rent and charges
- Amount, frequency, due date and payment method
- What is included: utilities, internet, association or municipal charges
- How and when rent may be reviewed, with notice required
- Consequences of late payment, and any interest or charge
- Who is responsible if there are several tenants — jointly, or individually
Deposit
- Amount and what it may be used for
- Where it will be held, and under any scheme required locally
- Timescale for return after the tenancy ends
- How deductions will be evidenced and disputed
- Any separate holding fee, and whether it is credited to the rent
Repairs and maintenance
- What the landlord is responsible for repairing
- What the tenant is responsible for, in specific terms
- How to report a repair, and expected response times by urgency
- Emergency contact and out-of-hours arrangement
- Responsibility for garden, gutters, drains and external areas
- Who services the heating, and how access will be arranged
Use of the property
- Whether pets are permitted, and on what terms
- Whether smoking is permitted
- Whether subletting or short-term letting is permitted
- Whether the property may be used for business or work
- Restrictions on decoration, fixings and alterations
- Maximum number of occupants
Access and inspections
- Notice the landlord must give before entering, in writing
- Circumstances permitting entry without notice, and their limits
- Frequency of routine inspections
- Access arrangements for viewings near the end of the tenancy
Ending the tenancy
- Notice required from each side and how it must be served
- Condition the property must be returned in, and cleaning standard
- Check-out procedure and who attends
- Return of keys and what happens if any are missing
- Forwarding address for the deposit and final bills
Local law usually wins
Tenancy legislation regularly overrides contract terms, particularly on notice periods, deposit handling, rent increases and grounds for possession. A clause that conflicts with the local rules is generally unenforceable, and in some jurisdictions including it is itself a breach.
Write down the boring things
Who cuts the grass, who bleeds the radiators, who replaces a failed appliance, what happens when one of four sharers leaves. None of these feel worth a clause at signing, and each of them is a routine dispute a year later.
Both sides should keep a signed copy
Along with the inventory, the deposit confirmation, any required safety certificates and the meter readings at check-in. That file is what resolves a disagreement in ten minutes rather than six weeks.
Common questions
Can a tenancy agreement override the law?
No. Where a clause conflicts with local tenancy legislation, the legislation applies and the clause typically falls away. In several jurisdictions including an unenforceable clause is itself an offence, so have the wording checked locally.
How much deposit can be taken?
Many jurisdictions cap it, commonly at between one and two months rent, and some require it to be held in a designated scheme. Charging above the cap or holding it incorrectly can carry penalties well beyond returning the excess.
What if there are several tenants?
The agreement should state whether liability is joint, meaning each tenant is responsible for the whole rent, or individual by room. This determines what happens when one person leaves and is the single most common source of sharer disputes.
Related templates
Letting, inventory, rent reviews and tenancy records.
Turn a calculation into an enquiry
Buyers who run these numbers are ready to talk. Give every listing its own page with your photo, phone and WhatsApp on it — leads land straight on your phone.
Create your free property page