What to check before signing a UK tenancy agreement

Deposits, break clauses, and the small print that matters. A plain-English checklist before you sign.

A tenancy agreement is a legal contract. Before you sign, you need to understand what you are agreeing to — not just skim the first page and hope for the best. This checklist covers the essentials for a UK room rental.

Check the names. The landlord's legal name and your full name should appear correctly. For a lodger agreement (you live with the landlord) the contract type differs from an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) where you rent from a landlord who does not live in the property. Know which you are signing.

Verify the rent and payment terms. How much, when it is due, and how to pay. Watch for clauses allowing the landlord to increase rent mid-term without notice — these are unusual in fixed-term agreements.

Deposit protection is non-negotiable. If you pay a deposit, it must be protected in a government-approved scheme (DPS, MyDeposits, or TDS) within 30 days. Ask for the scheme name and your certificate number before you move in.

Read the break clause carefully. How much notice must you give to leave early? Two months is standard for ASTs; some lodger agreements require only two weeks. Make sure the notice period works for your situation.

Check what is included. Council tax, utilities, broadband, cleaning of communal areas — these should be listed explicitly. "Bills included" without detail often leads to disputes later.

Look for restrictions on guests, pets, and working from home. These are common in room rentals and not necessarily unfair, but you should know them before signing. On RoomForRent, landlords can e-sign agreements through the platform — but whether you sign digitally or on paper, read every page first.