When taking on a new renter, you need to make sure you’re on the same page, and a robust UK residential tenancy agreement template can help with this. In this post, we’ll explain how to set a healthy dynamic with your tenant.
Writing a clear tenancy agreement
A tenancy agreement sets the tone of any landlord/renter relationship. This document clarifies a number of common queries and explains the tenant’s rights and responsibilities. Here are six key details your agreement must include:
- Type of tenancy: Clarify if this is an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST). This has a fixed length of time, unlike excluded tenancies, where renters lodge with their landlord.
- Start and end dates: You must set out how long you expect your tenant to stay. Make it clear that if they end the contract early, they might incur a fee.
- Rent amount: State the rent amount alongside how often and when the tenant must pay it. To make things easier, add a list of suitable payment methods.
- Guarantor details: You might want protections against missed rent payments, just to be safe. Include your renter’s guarantor (or guarantors) in the contract.
- Pets: Most landlords don’t let renters keep pets. However, under the Renters’ Rights Bill (due to become law sometime in 2025) will mean that you cannot unreasonably refuse permission to have a pet. If pets are allowed, you should clarify this and whether you require the tenant to obtain pet insurance to cover any damage to the property.
- Utility costs: Specify which utilities you’ll be paying for, if any. This includes broadband, energy, and water. The tenant must know exactly what they’re paying for.
Make sure you use an online template that covers all of the above and more. These will make it easier to put together a contract that fits your specific vision at a very low cost.
Managing the security deposit
You should also discuss the security deposit with your tenant directly; they’ll need to know when you might use it and how you’ll protect it. Reassure them that it’ll stay in a government-approved deposit scheme and update them as soon as you place it in one.
Tell them that you can only use the security deposit to cover unpaid rent or bills and damages to the property. This alone could encourage them to be careful with the property. Explain that you’ll return the deposit in full at the end of the tenancy if there are no problems.
Conducting move-in/move-out inspections
Walk through the home with the tenant once they move in and give them an inventory checklist. This will list every furnishing, appliance, and fixture on the property. The tenant will then inspect each one and return the completed checklist, ideally with everything in working order.
A move-in inspection shows your tenant that you value the property’s condition and will check to see if they maintain it. This encourages them to look after the property and report any problems to you as soon as possible - they know their deposit could be on the line if they don’t.
These inspections are a chance to set standards for your property. They show tenants what the home should look like. Proving that everything works as expected also leaves less room for disputes; you’ll both know nothing in the property was broken.
Establishing clear communication protocols
You should give your phone number to your tenant; many landlords have a separate phone just for rental-related queries and issues. Tell them if you prefer another form of communication, you might choose email because it sets less of an expectation for an instant response.
In this situation, you might leave the phone for emergencies. This gives you a way of telling at a glance if a problem is serious enough to warrant action outside working hours. It’s also generally good to have separate channels with different response time expectations.
Setting boundaries with tenants
Elaborating on response times is essential so your tenant doesn’t think you’ll always be there at a moment’s notice. They cannot reasonably bother you at all hours of the day with queries, so set yourself “landlord hours” where they can talk to you about non-urgent matters.
Of course, make sure they know you’re always available for emergencies - even after hours for particularly extreme situations. Make a list of potential emergencies so the tenant has an idea of the “scale” that qualifies.
You should also clarify that you won’t visit the property unannounced and that you’ll always give 24 hours' notice. This can help your tenants feel more comfortable, knowing they’ll have privacy most of the time.
Ultimately, it’s important that you maintain a professional dynamic. Getting too close to a tenant can stop them from taking the lease seriously. Be polite and personable but also firm, especially when discussing the property’s rules.
Final thoughts
You must always make sure new renters understand their responsibilities. With the right tenancy agreement (ideally one using an online template) and a few conversations, you’ll set the tone for a healthy, happy tenancy.
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