Tenancies and terms

Tenancy agreements

A tenancy agreement is the contract you sign before you can move into a property. It contains important information, including how you are expected to behave when living there.

The document can be very long, but you should read it carefully. It tells you what you are signing up to, and you can look out for any terms that might be unfair.

If you have a joint tenancy, you will all sign the same contract. Then, you will each be jointly and individually responsible for the whole of the rent and any damage to the property. This means that if one of your co-tenants leaves the property and stops paying rent, the remaining tenants will need to pay the missing rent.

Visit the Shelter webpage on types of renting agreement to understand your tenancy type.

Tenancy dates

Most rooms are rented out for one year. Once you have signed a tenancy agreement, you must pay rent until the end of the tenancy.

If you need a shorter tenancy, visit our short-term accommodation page.

If you want to move out early, you should check your tenancy agreement. It may not be possible to leave early, or you may need to find a replacement tenant. Find out about leaving a fixed term tenancy early on the Shelter website.

Guarantors

A guarantor is someone who agrees to pay rent or damages if the tenant does not make payment. Guarantors are required by most letting agencies and some landlords.

For students, this is often parents or guardians but this can be difficult for international students and staff as most agents require your guarantor to be UK based.

Housing Hand offers a thorough guarantor service.  A discount on Housing Hand's fees is available to University of Bristol students who apply from this page.

Some agencies or landlords will not accept a guarantor from Housing Hand. Alternatively, you might be asked to provide a rent payment of 6 months or a full year in advance.

Right to rent

Before allowing you to move into a room or a property, private landlords and agents are legally required to check your immigration status to ensure that you have a right to rent in the UK.

This could involve an online or manual check. You may be required to apply for a share code online or you may need to provide a copy of your passport or visa to prove your right to rent.

If you cannot access the relevant documents there may need to be a Home Office check.

If you are applying for accommodation from abroad, the landlord can arrange the tenancy in advance but will need to obtain evidence you have the right to rent before you move into the property.

Read more on the government right to rent webpages and on the Shelter right to rent webpages.

Landlord rent reference

Before you move in, your landlord or letting agent might ask you to provide a rent reference. If you are a current student and have lived in University accommodation, we can provide you with a rent reference.