Have you ever needed to create a tenancy agreement but couldn’t afford a solicitor? Found a tenant and want to get their agreement in place quickly and easily, but you need it to be binding and fair? This is where Legislate comes in.
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 sole occupancy tenancy agreement is when a tenant rents the entire property and has exclusive possession of the property. This means that the landlord needs to seek permission to enter and can only repossess the property from the tenant by serving a notice under certain conditions. The conditions for serving a notice will depend on the status of the tenancy (within the initial term, at a break point or rolling) and whether the tenant has breached the terms of the tenancy agreement or not.
Landlords might seek a longer tenancy term to provide rental income certainty. A 12 month term can achieve this while providing enough time for the tenant to settle in whilst giving them an option to release themselves from the tenancy should their personal or professional situation change.
A 12 month tenancy agreement will often include a 6 month break clause which gives the tenant and the landlord the option to end the tenancy at the 6 month mark.
Under a 12 month sole occupancy assured shorthold tenancy, the landlord and tenant will have obligations, liabilities and consents which need to be clearly spelled out in the contract. For example, a tenant must not use the property for illegal, immoral or antisocial purposes. The landlord must not interrupt the tenant's right to quiet enjoyment. The tenancy agreement should also specify details about the property and common parts, how the tenancy can be terminated within or after the initial term, as well as the rent, payment frequency and payment dates.