Contracts

• There is no standard tenancy contract, so it is important to read your contract carefully and make sure you fully understand the contents.
• You should be given time to take the contract away and read it. A minimum of 48 hours is recommended.  
• The contract should include the name and address of the landlord. Even if you are renting the property through an agent, you are entitled to this information.
• Who are the tenants? If more than one person is named as tenant, the contract will be a joint tenancy, meaning all tenants share equal responsibility for the rent and property.
• The length of the tenancy. The majority of housing contracts are for a fixed term of 12 months. If you are uncertain about the term check whether there is a break clause which allows you to end the contract early.
• Check the advertised rent is what is stated on the contract. Mistakes do happen and if you agree to the contract, it makes it difficult to argue later.  
• Your contract should state when you should pay your rent. Can you meet the rent payment dates and/or are they in line with your student finance loan?
• Check how the rent should be paid. A standing order gives you more control than a direct debit, as it prevents additional money from being taken without your consent. If your tenancy agreement confirms that you should be paying your rent via a standing order, do not set up a direct debit if asked do so at a later stage. 
• Are the utilities included in the rent? Check whether the fair usage cap (if any) is realistic for the household, how energy usage will be monitored, and whether the property is on standard domestic tariffs—some landlords/ letting agents use business rates, which are more expensive. For more details read our utilities page.
• How much is the deposit? By law, the maximum tenancy deposit is 5 weeks rent.  
• If you are exempt for council tax purposes, you will need to provide a council tax exemption certificate which you can request this via the Student self-service portal. Make sure your correct term time address is also on the portal.
• Rights and responsibilities of both the tenant and the landlord (see section below).
• Most contracts say you must not do anything which invalidates the landlord’s building insurance or makes it more expensive. Ask your landlord/agent to explain how this might happen. Some contracts also state that the landlord/agent cannot be held responsible for damage to your personal possessions, and you will need to take out contents insurance. However, landlords cannot legally require you to take out contents insurance.
• If you are required to provide a guarantor, the guarantor should read the tenancy agreement and the guarantor contract and seek advice if they do not understand, before agreeing.

You need to negotiate BEFORE agreeing a housing contract. Once you have agreed the contract you have agreed to abide by all terms within it. It becomes a lot more difficult, if not impossible to negotiate after you have agreed.

If you are agreeing a contract through a letting agent, you need to start negotiating with them. If negotiating with the letting agent does not work, you should contract the landlord directly and negotiate with them instead.

1. Rent - If you think that the rent is too high, research similar properties in the area and compare them. Mention your concerns to the landlord/letting agent, as it could influence them to adjust the rent so that it is in line with the market. If the contract involves monthly rental payments, you can offer to pay termly in advance to get a reduced rent. This might help landlords with their cash flow.
2. Rent payment dates - If the rent payment dates do not align with your student finance or other sources of income you can try to renegotiate the payment schedule.
3. The length of contract - You are responsible to pay the rent for the full fixed term. You may want to renegotiate what this fixed term is, normally it is 12 months, but you may want 9 or 10 months if you will not be living in the property over summer. As an example, if you are paying £80 a week and you renegotiate the term to 9 months instead of 12, you could save over £1,000. Equally, you might want to include a break clause which allows a tenancy to be terminated before the end of the fixed term.
4. Type of contract - If you are renting a property in a group, you can avoid joint and several liability for the whole rent of the property if the landlord agrees to grant you each a tenancy for your own room. If this is the case, you would only be liable for your rent.
5. Inclusive/Non-inclusive bills - If you have inclusive bills, it is a good idea to make sure that you have a clear understanding of what the terms around inclusive bills are. Is there a cap? Are you liable for bills more than the cap? Will the difference be refunded? If you are not happy with the terms regarding inclusive bills, you can attempt to negotiate these aspects of the contract.
6. Garden maintenance - Be sure to know who is responsible for maintenance in the garden. If it is your responsibility, will you be provided with the tools?
7. Landlord to maintain and repair electrical appliances - Check the landlord’s obligations regarding repairs in the contract and if necessary, negotiate to add the following: “The landlord agrees to keep in repair and proper working the electrical appliances supplied by the landlord, including fridge, freezer etc”.
8. Anything else - If you would like to negotiate any other aspect of the contract, this should happen as soon as possible.

Make sure anything you agree is put in writing.

• Keeping in good repair the structure and exterior of the house, including drains, gutters, and external pipes.  
• Keeping in good repair and proper working order, the installations for the supply of water, gas, electricity, sanitation (including basins, sinks, baths and sanitary conveniences), and for heating rooms and heating water.  
• Undertaking repairs within a reasonable period. What constitutes as reasonable will depend on the nature of the repair.  
• Giving you at least 24 hours’ notice to enter the property.  
• Providing you with a copy of the valid current Gas Safety Certificate.  
• Making sure furniture he/she supplied meets relevant safety regulations. (See Staying safe section).  
• Protecting your deposit within 30 days of receiving it and giving you the ‘prescribed information’. (See Deposits section).  
• Providing an up-to-date copy of the ‘How to Rent’ booklet  
• Providing a copy of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). This will affect your bills as higher ratings lead to lower bills.  
• Anything else you may have agreed in the contract.

Landlord of HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation)

Your landlord has some additional responsibilities if you live in a property of three or more unrelated individuals. These include responsibility for provision of bins, provision of shared facilities and maintenance of shared areas.

It is mandatory for all HMOs occupied by five or more people to have a licence issued by the local authority. Many local authorities, including Charnwood Borough Council, have introduced additional licensing schemes for HMOs of three or four occupants.

You can read more about the responsibilities of landlords of HMOs on Shelter’s website.

• Providing the relevant documents such as your passport or BRP card to prove you have a Right to Rent.
• Paying rent on time  
• Using the premises as a private dwelling and not for business purposes  
• Acting in a ‘tenant-like manner’.   
• Taking reasonable steps to prevent the water pipes from freezing – if you leave the property unoccupied during cold weather keep the heating on low (e.g., over Christmas).  
• Securing the property when you go away – lock all doors and windows.  
• Informing the Council of your student status for council tax purposes.  
• Your household and any visitors.  
• Take care of the contents that have been provided.  
• Reporting any repairs as required in the contract immediately. Follow this up in writing, email is acceptable and keep a copy. 
• Informing the landlord immediately if you break or damage anything.  
• Asking your landlord/agent’s permission when necessary (e.g. hanging pictures, painting walls).  
• Ending the tenancy as outlined in the contract.  
• Keeping to the terms and conditions of the contract and anything else you have agreed in the contract. 

• The name, address and contact details of the landlord. 
• Stay in the property until the contract ends.  
• Exclusive possession and your landlord should not disturb your right to quiet enjoyment.  
• Your deposit being protected.  
• Have certain repairs completed for you.  
• Evidence that the property meets necessary safety standards (e.g. up to date gas safety certificate/HMO licence/electrical safety certificates as appropriate).  
• Have the property in a habitable state.