• A tenancy is an "estate in Land" - a right to occupy for a period in exchange for rent.
• The tenant must have exclusive possession of the land for a tenancy to exist.
• There are 4 main types of residential tenancy in England & Wales:
  • A Protected (Rent Act) Tenancy 1977
  • Protected Shorthold Tenancy - Housing Act 1980
  • Assured Tenancy (AT) - Housing Act 1988
  • Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) - Housing Act 1988 & 1996

What is a Tenancy?  

A tenancy is an "estate in land", granted for a determined period of time ("term of years" or "fixed-term" -  6 months,1 year, 21 years, 99 years etc) or a specific period (a periodic tenancy - yearly, monthly, weekly, even daily)

In return for the "time limited" but exclusive use and possession of the land (and any building/s on the land) the tenant pays his landlord a rent.

The landlord may be the freeholder (owner for life - life tenant) or a tenant herself. e.g.:

So long as each subsequent sublease is shorter that the previous one there is no problem.

To all intents and purposes, whilst a tenancy is in force, the tenant occupier is the owner of the land and can act as any other owner would, so long as it's within the terms of his lease agreement and current statutory requirements (Acts of Parliament).

Tenants have a right to "quiet enjoyment" which means the freedom to enjoy the property as any "owner" would - free from unnecessary interference by the landlord. 

Tenancy agreements are partly contractual, i.e. an agreement between landlord and tenant which can be enforced by a court of law. And, particularly with residential tenancies (as opposed to commercial or business tenancies), they are partly governed by statutory (Act of Parliament) rules which cannot be over-ridden by the contractual rules.

An important point to remember is that residential tenancy agreement terms must be deemed "fair" and are governed by the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999. See the Office of Fair Trading's  Guide to Unfair Terms in Tenancy Agreements 

An unfair term in a tenancy agreement may well reassure the landlord, or indeed the tenant, on some point, but it would be unenforceable at law.

Fixed Term & Periodic Tenancies

Tenancies usually start with an agreed fixed-term, (for example 6 or 12 months) during which time both parties are contractually bound - the tenant to pay rent for the full term, and the landlord to allow her exclusive possession and quiet enjoyment.

Once the fixed-term of a tenancy has expired, however, unless a new fixed-term is agreed to, all tenancies automatically become periodic tenancies. These are based on the rent payment period - weekly or monthly etc. The periodic tenancy can then continue on until one side, landlord or tenant, gives notice.

At the end of the fixed-term, therefore, there is no legal requirement for either party to do anything - the tenancy can continue on indefinitely on a periodic basis and on exactly the same terms as the original agreement, which still fully applies.

What is a Licence? 

A tenancy gives the tenant a legal interest in the land - in effect, legal ownership for the period of the tenancy. The tenancy can even be sold (assigned) to another tenant, though residential tenancies usually forbid this.

The grant of a license does not create an estate in land and the licensee does not gain an interest in the property, purely permission to occupy it. Stays in Hotels, Hostels, Lodgings (where the "landlord" is resident) (letting a room in your own home) holiday lettings, employees of a business living on the premises, and some HiMOs are all license agreements. See Licenses.

Occupier with Basic Protection

Interestingly, there is in fact a half-way house between tenant (full tenancy rights) and lodger (licence to occupy) - it's call an "Occupier with BASIC PROTECTION". This situation arises where the tenant shares a house with the landlord, but not the accommodation, e.g. not sharing a bathroom or cooking facilities. This applies, for example, to student halls of residence. Therefore in this tenant has most of the protection of an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) and the landlord would need to give the usual section 21 notice and get a court order to evict.

Long Tenancies or Leases 

Residential landlords are mainly concerned with letting on short tenancies (up to 7 years) but if they let out flats they may themselves have bought a long lease on the flat - usually up to 99 years.

A long lease involves the purchase or payment of a premium (purchase price of the lease) along with a small annual rent and service charges.  See Long-Leasehold.

Multiple Tenants 

When more than one residential tenant occupies a property it is common to have all the individuals sign the lease agreement (Joint Tenancy) so that all have joint and several liability. If one tenant absconds, all the others, or if the landlord can find only one, just one of the others, is responsible for all the rent and expenses. 

Tenants should ensure that their sharers in a joint tenancy are responsible people, or they may find themselves footing the bill!

Creating a Tenancy 

A tenancy can be created by the conduct of the parties and does not need to have a written agreement to be legally binding. 

Once a person is given possession (exclusively) of land or property (usually evidenced by possession of the keys) and the owner accepts rent payments, a tenancy comes into existence legally.

Creating tenancies on a casual basis such as this (even for friends, perhaps especially for friends) is not the sort of thing any sensible landlord would do! A written agreement or lease is absolutely crucial to any successful tenant - landlord relationship.

Any landlord (or tenant) without a written agreement is "in the lap of the Gods" or, more specifically, the civil court judges. The relationship is then governed entirely by whatever statutory rules exist and the ability to provide evidence other than a written agreement as to the rent payable, when it is due, and when the tenancy started.

Modern agreements aim to strike a fair balance between the interests of both the tenant and the landlord and should be in plain English. 

It's good practice for landlords to make sure that tenants understand their agreements (obligations) at the signing of the agreement, by discussing the terms. 

Tenants in any doubt should seek legal advice, though reputable "standard" residential tenancy agreements often afford some reassurance.  

Tenancy Agreement or Lease? 

Ordinary written residential tenancy agreements can be bought "off the shelf" from various sources. see Tenancy Agreements

So long as these agreements have been well drafted they often suffice quite nicely for residential tenancies. Experienced landlords and agents often like to include specific clauses of their own, and may have them prepared by a solicitor.

An ordinary written agreement cannot be used for a tenancy exceeding three years in length. Tenancies for longer periods need a lease by deed. 

Anyone can draw up a tenancy agreement, but a lease by deed requires a solicitor or licensed conveyancer.

What kind of Residential Tenancy? 

There are currently 4 kinds of residential tenancies:

1. The Protected (Rent Act) Tenancy - tenancies entered into before 15 January 1989.
2. The Assured Tenancy - introduced by the Housing Act 1988.
3. The Assured Tenancy - Housing Act 1988
4. The Assured Shorthold Tenancy - introduced in 1988 but amended by the 1996 Housing Act.

The Rent Act Tenancy 

These tenancies give the residential tenant considerable security of tenure and they also regulate the level of rent payable by the tenant. 

Basically these are uneconomic to operate and landlords need to exercise caution when purchasing properties with existing tenants, in case there are any Rent Act tenants.

As a general guide a property with a sitting Rent Act tenant is worth only around 50% of its vacant possession value.

The Residential Property Tribunal Service determine Fair rents and Market rents for Regulated (Rent Act) and Assured tenancies.

The Assured Tenancy   

The modern assured tenancy still affords tenants security of tenure but enables the landlord to charge a market rent and to regain possession on certain grounds, as laid down in the Housing Act 1988. For example, if the tenant falls behind in his rent payments by more that 2 months the landlord can apply to the courts for a possession order.   

The Residential Property Tribunal Service determine Fair rents and Market rents for Regulated (Rent Act) and Assured tenancies.

The Assured Shorthold Tenancy 

A special kind of Assured Tenancy is the Assured Shorthold which has one additional special ground for possession - it is a guaranteed granting of a possession order after an initial agreed period (the shorthold period) of usually 6 months.

All new tenancies since 28 February 1997 are automatically Assured Shortholds, unless the agreement has specified an Assured Tenancy.

Shorthold Tenancies granted after 15 January 1989 and before 28 February 1997 are only enforceable by the landlord if the correct notice was served at start. A prescribed form Section 20 Notice was needed. 

Point to Watch for Landlords: 

1. Once a tenancy has been created it cannot be changed to another type of tenancy by or on renewal.
2. Rent Act Tenancies can seriously damage your wealth, and perhaps your health as well!  
3. Beware when buying properties with sitting tenants. Are there any Rent Act tenants? If there are early Shorthold tenants, has a Section 20 Notice been properly served and does a proper Shortlhold agreement exist?
4. Never, ever create a tenancy on a casual basis - always have a substantial written agreement which is properly witnessed on signing.
5. Make sure that all occupants in your property are documented tenants, having signed an agreement. New arrivals should be put on the agreement as soon as possible.
6. Never try to force a tenant to leave - a court possession order must always be obtained if the tenant won't leave and the landlord wishes to end a tenancy - see Harassment.
7. If in doubt about the financial security of the tenant or for younger tenants always try to obtain a surety agreement (guarantee) from parents or another home-owner willing to stand surety in case of default or damage.
8. Always screen and verify tenants very carefully before handing over the keys to your property. Remember, you are handing over a very valuable asset when you let out your property - would a bank lend you money without doing thorough checks?

Contents © LandlordZONE® 2007 all rights reserved.

• A History of Landlording
• Legal Aspects of Rental Property
• LandlordZONE FAQ
• Glossary