Tenancy agreements in England: what one must include after the Renters' Rights Act

A tenancy agreement is the contract between a landlord and tenant setting out the terms of the let: who the parties are, the property, the rent, the deposit, and what each side must do. People also call it a lease, rental agreement or tenant agreement form; for a home in England they all mean the same thing.

The law gives tenants rights whatever the agreement says. A clause that tries to take those rights away, such as a fixed term the tenant can't leave or a no-fault eviction clause, has no effect.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 ended assured shorthold tenancies. Every existing AST converted to an assured periodic tenancy, and every new one starts that way. For the agreement, that means:

• No fixed term. The tenancy rolls on until the tenant gives notice or you get possession on a ground.
• No section 21. Section 21 is abolished; possession needs a Section 8 ground.
• Rent increases go through a Section 13 notice, about once a year. Rent review clauses no longer work.
• Rent in advance is limited to the first month.
• Pets: a tenant can ask in writing, and you must reply within 28 days and can't unreasonably refuse. See pets in rental properties.

You must give the tenant a written statement of terms before the tenancy is agreed (Housing Act 1988, section 16D). A written agreement counts as that statement if it contains every item the regulations list; otherwise you give the statement as a separate document as well.

In practice, a written agreement signed by everyone is the clearest record of what was agreed, and the first thing a tribunal or court will ask to see. Electronic signatures are fine for a tenancy agreement.

These are the items required by the written statement regulations, plus the practical terms most agreements cover:

• The parties: every landlord and tenant by name, and any guarantor.
• An address for notices: an address in England or Wales where the tenant can serve notices on you.
• The property and the date the tenancy starts (when the tenant can first move in).
• Rent: the amount, when and how it's paid, and how increases work under section 13.
• Bills the tenant pays to you, if any, such as council tax or utilities.
• The deposit: the amount (capped at 5 weeks' rent, or 6 if annual rent is £50,000 or more) and when deductions can be made. You must protect it within 30 days and give the prescribed information.
• Tenant's notice to leave: no more than 2 months.
• Statements the regulations require on possession, fitness for human habitation, repairs, electrical and gas safety, disability adaptations and pets.
• Prior notice of possession grounds you may rely on later, such as Grounds 4 and 4A for student HMOs. Without it some grounds carry a fine risk, and Ground 4A can't be used at all.
• Day-to-day terms: who can live there, access for repairs and inspections with notice, subletting, smoking, and the condition the property must be returned in.

• A fixed term, a minimum stay the tenant can't leave before, or a break clause in your favour.
• A section 21 or other no-fault ending.
• Automatic rent increases or rent review clauses.
• Banned fees under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, such as charges for referencing, check-in or renewing.
• A requirement to pay more than one month's rent in advance.
• A blanket “no pets” or “no benefits” rule.

• Whole property: one tenant, a couple or a family renting the whole house or flat.
• Joint tenancy: sharers on one agreement, each responsible for the whole rent (“jointly and severally liable”).
• Room only: each tenant rents a room in an HMO with shared facilities, on their own agreement.
• Lodger: someone renting a room in the home you live in is usually a licensee, not an assured tenant, so the periodic tenancy rules don't apply in the same way.
• Company let: a tenancy to a company isn't an assured tenancy, because an assured tenant must be an individual.

There's no official GOV.UK tenancy agreement for the new periodic tenancies: the old model shorthold agreement has been withdrawn. Many free agreements and Word files online still have fixed terms, section 21 clauses and rent review clauses written in. Using one won't create a fixed term or let you serve section 21; those clauses just don't work, and the agreement may still leave out items you're legally required to give. Check any template against the list above, and have a solicitor review it if you're unsure.