The benefits of having a written contract
A contract can be a verbal or written agreement. However, it is much better to have a written than a verbal agreement as this way both parties know what is expected of them. This clarity helps to avoid disputes that might otherwise arise.
Review your contract
Do not sign a contract if you're not happy with the terms or there are any aspects of the agreement you don't understand. You should always be given at least 24 hours to read the contract through. Where possible always get your contract checked - this service is normally available through your Students' Union Advice Centre. Never sign on the spot. Once signed, the contract is legally binding on all parties - you do not get a chance to change your mind.
Get Your Contract Checked by Unipol
Many Unipol Code landlords are now using the Unipol Model Tenancy Agreement. This contract offers clearly understandable terms and is recommended by the Students' Unions.
Types of contract in use: what to look out for
The type of contract you sign will depend on where you’ll be living:
- a house, flat or bedsit rented directly from a landlord/agent
- a room or flat rented from a university or college or
- in the home of an owner to whom you pay rent
If you’re planning on moving into a shared property, you need to be aware that your contract will make you responsible and accountable to your landlord in one of two ways (e.g. for rent arrears and damage to the property):
- joint liability
- individual liability
RENTING AN HMO (SHARED STUDENT HOUSE) FROM A LANDLORD/AGENT
Most landlords and agents now use an Assured Periodic Tenancy (APT). This is a rolling, month‑to‑month contract with no fixed end date. Under an APT, tenants can end their tenancy by giving a minimum of two months’ notice, in line with the Renters’ Rights Act (more information on the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 can be found here). Rent is paid monthly by default, unless a different arrangement is agreed.
Landlords and agents can only regain possession of the property under specific legal grounds. This type of agreement confirms that you are a tenant with exclusive possession of the property. While the landlord or agent may need access (for example, for repairs or inspections), they must give reasonable notice, and access should only take place during reasonable hours.
Tenancies Signed before 1st May:
If you are currently in a tenancy, or signed a new tenancy agreement before 1st May 2026, you will most likely have an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST). This will automatically convert to an Assured Periodic Tenancy (APT) on 1st May 2026. In some cases, where you hold an AST with an end date up to 31st July 2026 and your accommodation provider served a valid Section 21 notice before 1st May 2026, your tenancy may continue until its original end date. It is therefore important to check whether a Section 21 notice has been served and what this means for your tenancy.
LIVING WITH A PBSA PROVIDER (Contract signed before 1st May 2026)
If you are living in private‑sector Purpose‑Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) before 1st May 2026 and hold an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST), your tenancy will convert to an Assured Periodic Tenancy (APT) on 1st May 2026, just like any other private‑sector renter. This means your tenancy will become rolling and any previous fixed end date will no longer automatically apply; if you wish to leave on the original end date, you must give a minimum of two months’ notice.
In limited cases, where you hold an AST with an end date up to 31st July 2026 and your provider served a valid Section 21 notice before 1st May 2026, your tenancy may continue to its original end date. So it’s important to check whether such a notice was served. If you neither give notice nor re‑sign for the following year, your provider may use Ground 4A to regain possession in line with the next academic letting cycle.
If you hold a Licence to Occupy, your agreement will usually continue under its existing terms, and you should seek clarification from your provider or your Students’ Union Advice Team.
Finally, if you signed a contract before 1st May 2026 for a future academic year, it’s worth having it checked, as some agreements described as “Common Law” may be ASTs and therefore convert to APTs.
LIVING WITH A PBSA PROVIDER (Contract signed on or after 1st May 2026)
If you signed your tenancy agreement on or after 1st May 2026, you are likely to hold a Common Law Tenancy or a Licence to Occupy. In this case, the new provisions of the Renters’ Rights Act will generally not apply, as PBSA providers who are members of the ANUK/Unipol National Code are exempt (you can check whether your landlord is a National Code member here).
This usually means your contract will remain fixed‑term, ending on a specific date, and you will continue to be able to pay rent in quarterly or termly instalments. Landlords are not required to consider pet requests, and tenants can only give notice to quit in limited and specific circumstances, which must be supported by appropriate evidence or documentation; these circumstances are set out under Clause 4.6 of the National Code.
Your rights and responsibilities will be governed primarily by the terms written into your tenancy agreement, alongside the standards and protections outlined in the ANUK/Unipol National Code, which explains how providers should manage accommodation and sets out your rights as a resident (a copy of the Code can be found here).
If you are unsure what type of agreement you have or how it affects your rights, you should seek independent legal advice or contact your Students’ Union Advice Team.
LIVING WITH AN OWNER
This can be a complex area and if problems occur you should seek advice. Normally, if you live with the owner of the property and share the accommodation, you will either be a licensee (if the owner of the property has unrestricted access to your room) or an excluded tenant (if you can lock your individual room(s). The length of the agreement will vary depending on whether the owner wants you to stay for a specified period of time, or if they are happy for you to stay on a periodic basis (e.g. month to month). You will have a bedroom and probably share the rest of the property with the owner and possibly other students.
There is a standard agreement available which both owners and tenants can use. This also serves as a useful checklist of issues that those living in an owner's house need to be clear about.
LIVING IN UNIVERSITY ACCOMMODATION
You will normally sign a fixed-term agreement covering the full academic year (unless this is a short let). You will not be able to give notice to quit within the period of the contract. You will be an unprotected tenant and will have the right to occupy a specific room and common areas (i.e. bathroom/kitchen). Persons acting on behalf of the accommodation services can have access to the common parts (e.g. for cleaning purposes), but should not enter your individual room unless written notice is given.
Joint liability
If you have signed the same contract as your housemates and you all agree to take the property at the same time; you will be jointly and severally liable with each of your housemates for any rent arrears and/or damage to the property. So, if one tenant gives notice to quit, this notice is treated as ending the tenancy for all tenants, not just the individual who served it. As a result, the landlord may require all tenants to leave at the end of the tenancy. Alternatively, the landlord may choose to offer a new tenancy to the remaining tenants, though they are not required to do so. We recommend that the group laisse with the landlord about options available,
Individual liability
If you have a separate agreement between you and the landlord/agent, and another tenant leaves, the landlord/agent cannot ask that you cover their rent. You would be liable for any damage to your room. The landlord/agent can make a charge for any damage to communal areas but they have to first try and find out who was responsible.If you were to give your minimum 2 months’ notice to quit, this would not affect anyone else within the property.
You will also need to be absolutely clear about the terms and conditions. It is essential you read through and fully understand all the terms and conditions stated on the contract. This includes any handbook or additional contract sheets you are given. If there is a dispute then the contract is the first point of reference and would be used as the main source of evidence in any court case.
The contract should include the full contact details of the landlord/agent. If you are renting via an agency make sure you also have the landlord's full contact details. You are legally entitled to this information. If you have just a name and telephone number, it could be very difficult to pursue the landlord/agent should a dispute arise.
The contract should also make clear what rent payments are due and when. In addition to this, it should be clear who is responsible for the bills, e.g. water rates. Before you sign a contract, check that the advertised rent is what is stated on the contract. Errors do occur and if you sign the contract, it may be difficult to argue later, especially if you do not have the original advert.
Once a contract has been signed the terms and conditions cannot be altered unless both parties agree.
Never sign a contract on behalf of your housemates. Even if their name is on the contract, if they do not sign the agreement and decide not to move in, you could be held liable for the rent of the whole house.
Restrictions on the terms and conditions a landlord can write into a contract
Landlords are not free to write into contracts any terms and conditions they want. They are restricted in whay they can do by the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations (1999), which apply to all rented tenancies. Any clauses deemed unfair could be unenforceable. This only refers to the standard terms of a contract (not clauses that have been separately negotiated). Examples of Unfair Terms could be penalty charges, exclusion by the landlord/agent of accepting responsibility for loss or damage to personal property and ambiguous legal clauses.
If you have any queries, you can contact the Competition and Markets Authority (formerly the Office of Fair Trading) or your Students' Union Advice Services.
Guarantees and parents' financial liability
As part of the agreement, some landlord/agents will present you with a guarantee and ask you to get your parents to guarantee your rent. It is very important that any such guarantee specifically limits your parents' financial liability to just their son's or daughter's rent/damages. Unipol has prepared a model guarantee that does this. Before anyone signs, it is important that both you and your parents understand that if you default on rent or the cost of damage they will be responsible for making payment.
Unipol have put together a model guarantor form that landlords can use to limit financial liability.
Model Guarantor Form for Individual Liability in a Joint Tenancy
Model Guarantor Form for Individual Tenancies
It is also important to understand that if you enter into a contract with joint liability and your parents sign a general guarantee, there is a significant financial risk to your parents. If another tenant moves out or fails to pay the rent, your parents could be taken to court under the terms of the guarantee, even if you have paid your rent. The advice is: don't ask your parents to enter into any guarantee which does not specify the limit of financial liability being guaranteed.
About 36% of bed spaces rented to students in Leeds and Bradford are let by landlords asking for guarantees, so there are plenty that don't impose this requirement. The use of guarantees is prevalent in larger developments and among landlords with only one or two houses, where rent default would mean a loss of a significant part of their income. If you have a credit rating or a reference from a previous landlord to provide comfort to a potential new landlord, then many landlords may reconsider their request for a guarantee.
If you have no parents or obvious guarantee, you should raise this with the landlord concerned. Many will be willing to accept that, for you, a guarantee may not be necessary and other arrangements may be more appropriate.
If you are an international student, a parent who is abroad is also unlikely to be appropriate because legal proceedings to enforce any arrangement outside the UK can be difficult.
If you are asking others to be a guarantor or if you are being asked by a student to be a guarantor, you should seek advice before signing any documentation. Generally, supervisors and tutors should always refuse to enter into these obligations, because it creates a financial relationship between them and their student which could cause a conflict of interest later.