Student Tenancy Agreements UK: Landlord Guide 2025

What this document is

A student tenancy agreement is simply a written contract between a landlord and one or more students setting out the terms on which they occupy a property. In England, most student lets are structured as assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) under the Housing Act 1988.

The AST is the default form of residential tenancy and gives landlords the ability to recover possession using the statutory notice procedures once the fixed term ends or certain grounds are met. Where a student rents a room in the landlord's own home and shares living space, the arrangement is usually a licence rather than a tenancy, because the occupier is a lodger with fewer statutory protections.

Student-specific agreements tend to include features you wouldn't normally see in a standard AST: rent payable by term rather than monthly, group or 'joint and several' liability between housemates, guarantor requirements, and tighter clauses around noise, parties and gas or electricity usage. These agreements apply to tenancies in England only.

Wales has its own separate regime under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, which uses occupation contracts instead of tenancy agreements.

How to use this document

1. Decide which type of agreement fits the arrangement. Before drafting anything, work out whether you're granting a tenancy or a licence. If students have exclusive possession of the whole property or their own room in a shared house let to them as a group, it's almost certainly a tenancy. If they're lodging in your own home and sharing the kitchen or bathroom with you, it's a lodger licence. The distinction affects notice periods, deposit rules and eviction procedures. 2. Choose between a joint tenancy and individual tenancies. A joint tenancy means all the students sign one agreement and are jointly and severally liable for the full rent and any damage. This is simpler administratively and common for student houses. Individual tenancies, where each student has their own contract for their own room, suit purpose-built student accommodation or situations where tenants don't know each other well enough to share financial risk. 3. Set the term and rent structure sensibly. Most student lets run for a fixed term of around 10 to 12 months to align with the academic year. Decide whether rent will be paid monthly, termly or in advance for the full year. Termly payments reflect how student loans are disbursed, but you should make sure the agreement is clear on due dates, late payment consequences and how the deposit is handled under an approved tenancy deposit scheme. 4. Ask for guarantors and run the right checks. Most students don't have earnings or a credit history that would satisfy a typical affordability check, so landlords usually require a parent or other adult to act as guarantor. Each guarantor should sign a separate guarantee agreement confirming they'll cover rent arrears and damages. You'll also need to carry out right to rent checks on every adult occupier, keeping copies of the documents you relied on. 5. Document the condition of the property and protect the deposit. Before move-in, prepare a detailed inventory with photographs and ask tenants to sign it. Within 30 days of receiving any deposit, register it with an authorised scheme and serve the prescribed information on tenants and anyone paying on their behalf. Failure to do this on time can prevent you from serving a section 21 notice later and expose you to a financial penalty.

Common questions