The tenant welcome pack is not a legal requirement, but many landlords use a welcome pack to communicate key information about the property to the tenant. It isn’t just the tenant that has to agree to these terms, they are legally binding on you as well. Whichever tenancy agreement you use, ensure you are also OK with all the terms. Tenancy agreements range from short and succinct to incredibly onerous. Ensure these are correct and up to date though as there are some terms that can’t be included in tenancy agreements, such as the requirement of tenants to pay administrative fees which was a common inclusion before the Tenant Fees Ban. Landlord Vision customers can use an unlimited number of free tenancy agreements which can be found in the legal document centre in Landlord Vision, but you can also download copies from various institutions. Once you and the tenant have signed the tenancy agreement you can’t make any changes to it without the permission of your tenant. The tenancy agreement also contains details of any rent payments, notice periods, terms for ending a tenancy and details about the deposit including how much is required and the circumstances in which the landlord can deduct from the deposit.
The tenancy agreement is a contract that governs the core principles of any agreement between the landlord and tenant such as how long the tenant can stay and what the obligations on each party are. The most common form of tenancy agreement in England is an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) but there are other kinds, particularly if you are renting property in Scotland. So many things can go wrong when renting and without a tenancy agreement neither party has much recourse to rectify issues. Supplying your tenant with a tenancy agreement isn’t actually a legal requirement but not doing this leaves both you and the tenant unprotected. You can find the latest version of the how to rent guide on the government website. The government update the guide from time to time, so you’ll need to make sure you are providing the tenant with the most up to date version. Many landlords and letting agents include this in the tenancy agreement so that it can be signed and initialled at the same time as the agreement to prove that the tenant has received it. If you have permission to email your tenants, you can send this to them by email. Failure to provide this booklet to a tenant can prevent you from serving a Section 21 notice to your tenant later if you need to. This booklet must also be provided whenever the tenancy is renewed. Since October 1st, 2015 landlords have been required to give tenants a copy of the “How to rent: the checklist for renting in England” booklet at the outset of any new tenancy. If your property is in Wales or Scotland, you don’t need to provide this information to tenants. This section only applies if you are renting property out in England.