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An assured shorthold tenancy agreement (also known as an AST) allows a landlord to let a property to a tenant. The term of an assured shorthold tenancy agreement is usually 6 or 12 months and will usually convert to a rolling periodic tenancy at the end of the initial term.
A bedsit is a form of accommodation made up of a single unit in a property with shared facilities. A bedsit can be part of a HMO if the property has 3 or more tenants who make up more than one household. The landlord will have additional responsibilities including making sure the rooms are a certain size if the property is classed as a HMO. In this case, depending on where the property is located the landlord might need a licence from the local council.
Risks such as fire, flood, storm, earthquake and others can be insured against by the Landlord. Whilst a landlord does not need to have insured risks to let their residential property, it helps protect themselves in the event of damage from one of these risks.
A bedsit in a property which is not classed as a HMO might require a lodger licence agreement if the landlord is living in the same property and it is their main home. In this case, the occupier of the bedsit will classified as a lodger and will not have exclusive possession of their bedsit. The notice requirements will also be different.
A landlord can easily specify in the Legislate tenancy agreement if they have insured risks or not. This provides clarity to the tenant as well who will be indirectly affected in the event that the property is damaged by an insured risk.