A shorthold tenancy agreement is designed to set out a residential landlords expectations of a tenant or tenants residing in their rental property. Typically this will include the term of the tenancy, amount of rental and the terms of which the tenancy is based. The objective of the shorthold tenancy agreement is to pull everything together in one document allowing the residential landlord and the tenant to understand the exact terms and expectations of the tenancy.
With most tenancies a deposit will be required from the tenant. It is now a legal obligation for the landlord to state in the shorthold tenancy agreement where the deposit is held. There are two tenancy deposit schemes available and these are explained in the information section of our website.
So, to begin there are two distinct types of shorthold tenancy agreement. One is for furnished properties and the other is unfurnished. An inventory is normally taken which records the property contents and their condition which is particularly important for furnished properties.
Each shorthold tenancy agreement should then outline the terms of rental payment and these should include the amount, the frequency and the date of each payment together with the rights of the residential landlord if payments are missed.
The shorthold tenancy agreement should also set out the obligations of the residential landlord in terms of the property so the tenant has a clear picture of what to expect. This will vary dependant on the type of property for example if it has a garden or common area it is important to document who carries responsibility for the up keep whilst the tenant is residing there. Pet clauses are also common and it is important to detail if pets are allowed and also what type of pets.
A good shorthold tenancy agreement should have the option for the following clauses.
6 month break clause. This allows either party to terminate the tenancy after this period of time. For the landlord it acts as an extra safety mechanism if they are unhappy with the tenant they currently have. Tenancy agreements can still run for 12 months or beyond but this allows the landlord more flexibility if required.
Guarantor clause. This can be inserted within the shorthold tenancy agreement to allow provision if the tenant is unable to make their rental payments. It means that a legal guarantor has committed to ensure the payments continue and can provide value peace of mind to the landlord. There will be a section within the document requiring the guarantors details and a signature of confirmation.
Finally there will be a section on the shorthold tenancy agreement for both the landlord and tenants to sign. We recommend both parties fully read each section and clarify any questions that may arise at that point therefore reducing any potential problems further into the tenancy.
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Our shorthold tenancy agreement provides all the tenancy agreement clauses a residential landlord should normally require including the ones above. Our website http://www.shorthold-tenancy-agreement.co.uk provides further information on tenancy agreements and which clauses to include. You can then instantly download the document which is right for you.
Together with your shorthold tenancy agreement we also provide all the other tenancy documents you may require as a landlord absolutely free of charge. This is all available in one quick and easy download so you don’t have to waste time sourcing different documents from different places.
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