As a landlord, ensuring that you have a legally binding tenancy agreement in place is essential for protecting your property and ensuring that your tenants understand their rights and responsibilities. With Docue's easy-to-use assured shorthold tenancy (AST) agreement template, you can create a contract that will protect your residential property and your tenants whilst clearly outlining the terms and conditions of the tenancy.
This tenancy agreement template can be used for both leasehold and freehold properties. It covers all of the essential details of a tenancy, such as rent payments, deposit, insurance, maintenance and repair obligations along with optional break clauses and guarantor terms (if applicable).
It's compliant with English laws and if you get stuck, this tenancy agreement template has lawyer-drafted guidance notes to help you create your tenancy agreement in minutes.
What is an assured shorthold tenancy agreement?
The basics: An assured shorthold tenancy agreement is the most common type of agreement in the UK for residential properties. It's a contract between a landlord and tenant that provides a level of security for both the landlord and the tenant by clearly defining the responsibilities and obligations of each party, including mandatory obligations that are required to be carried out under the tenancy by law.
Do I need an assured shorthold tenancy agreement template?
AST criteria: Most new tenancies are automatically ASTs. This AST template can be used if all of the following conditions apply:
- The rent amount is between £250 and £100,000 per year;
- The tenants are individuals;
- The property will be the tenant's primary residence; and
- The landlord should not live in the same property as the tenant.
If the tenancy meets the above conditions, then the tenancy can be considered to be an AST, even if there is no formal agreement. Without a written agreement in place, this can lead to uncertainty and disputes, which is why it's always a good idea to have a written AST agreement in place to avoid any misunderstandings.
What are the benefits of using Docue's assured shorthold tenancy agreement template?
1. Dynamic drafting: our tenancy agreement template is fully customisable to suit your circumstances. You can easily edit and tailor the agreement to include specific clauses that are important to you, ensuring that all aspects of the tenancy are covered whilst keeping in mandatory clauses (such as repair obligations) that are required by law.
2. Prevents disputes: by having a comprehensive and legally binding tenancy agreement in place, you can prevent disputes between you and your tenants. By having these terms clearly outlined in writing, both parties know what is expected of them and any potential misunderstandings can be avoided or quickly resolved.
3. Protects both parties: this tenancy agreement template aims to protect both parties, ensuring that the landlord's interests are safeguarded while also providing sufficient protection for the tenant, giving them a right to enjoy the property without interruptions from the landlord. The agreement is drafted in a fair and balanced way in compliance with English landlord and tenant legislation, but it is automatically in favour of the party creating it.
4. Saves time and money: creating a tenancy agreement from scratch can be time-consuming and expensive, especially if you need to seek legal advice for specific terms that you may be unsure of. With Docue's AST template, you can save time and money, as it is quick and easy to use, with clear and concise instructions. It can be e-signed by all parties to the agreement and stored safely in Docue's storage vault. This means you can focus on other aspects of managing your rental property, knowing that your tenancy agreement is taken care of.
What are some of the landlord's responsibilities under an AST?
Landlords have several legal responsibilities when renting out a property under an AST, this includes the obligations set out in the agreement but also the obligations required by law. Some of the key responsibilities include:
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Providing the tenant with a copy of the Government’s How to Rent guide guide before the tenancy begins along with an up to date gas safety certificate and energy performance certificate (EPC).
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Ensuring that all gas and electrical appliances are safe and have been checked and certified by a qualified professional.
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Protecting the tenant’s deposit in a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme (TDP) and providing the tenant with details of the scheme within 30 days of receiving the deposit.
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Ensuring that the property is safe and fit for habitation, including complying with health and safety regulations.
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Carrying out checks to ensure that smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are in proper working order on the day the tenancy begins.
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Carrying out repairs and maintenance to the property, including repairs to the structure and exterior of the building, heating and hot water systems, and any electrical or gas appliances.
These legal responsibilities are designed to ensure that the tenant has a safe and secure place to live and that they are treated fairly by their landlord. Failure to meet these responsibilities can result in legal action being taken against the landlord, including fines and even imprisonment in some cases. It is therefore important for landlords to take their responsibilities seriously and ensure that they comply with all the relevant legal requirements. For more information, check out the Housing Act 1988 and Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
What are the key terms that an assured shorthold tenancy agreement should include?
Key terms: This assured shorthold tenancy agreement template includes the following key provisions:
- Key details relating to the tenancy, e.g. the property, term, rent, payment dates, etc.
- Grant of tenancy;
- Deposit;
- Tenant's obligations;
- Tenant's restrictions;
- Landlord's obligations;
- What happens if the property becomes uninhabitable;
- Recovery of possession;
- Termination; and
- Governing law
This tenancy agreement template assumes that the governing law and jurisdiction will be English and Welsh law.
Why use Docue?
Simple: Docue’s platform allows you to access and customise a lawyer-made tenancy agreement template at the click of a button. With Docue’s ultra-modern contract drafting technology, you can complete the document and send it for signature in minutes.
Safe: After the tenancy agreement is signed electronically, you can store the contract in Docue’s storage vault, Docue Drive, to ensure you always have quick and easy access to your contracts in one place.
Transparent fees: Our pricing plans are clear and cost-effective, we don’t believe in hidden costs buried in the fine print.
Tags: tenancy agreement template, Assured shorthand tenancy agreement template, AST, landlord-tenant contract, property rental contract, residential tenancy agreement, UK tenancy agreement, rental agreement template, tenant, landlord, agent, guarantor
