Free Tenancy Agreement Template UK 2026

A tenancy agreement is the contract that sets out the terms of a let between a landlord and tenant. This free template is written for tenancies in England and Wales and has been updated for the Renters' Rights Act 2026 — which abolished fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies and made all new tenancies periodic. Use it to create a clear, legally compliant agreement, then download the editable Word version to fill in.

Does the AST still exist? What changed in 2026

The biggest change you need to understand before signing anyone up: you can no longer create a new fixed-term assured shorthold tenancy. Under the Renters' Rights Act, every new tenancy is a periodic assured tenancy that rolls from one rent period to the next from day one. There is no fixed term, no automatic end date, and Section 21 "no-fault" eviction has been abolished. Existing fixed-term ASTs convert to periodic tenancies automatically.

Practically, this template is a periodic tenancy agreement. It records the same core terms an AST always did — parties, property, rent, deposit, responsibilities — but it reflects the new rules on notice, rent increases and pets. If you are using an old AST template you downloaded before 2026, stop: it will contain clauses (fixed term, Section 21 break clauses) that are no longer lawful.

What's included in the template

• Tenant and landlord details, including the landlord's address for service
• Property description and permitted use
• Rent amount, payment date and method, and the statutory rent-review process
• Deposit amount and protection scheme details
• Tenant and landlord obligations
• Maintenance and repair responsibilities
• Pet request clause (Renters' Rights Act "reasonable consent" standard)
• Notice periods and the grounds-based possession process
• Prescribed information and document-service checklist

How to complete your tenancy agreement

Work through it in five steps. None of it is complicated, but each step has a legal consequence if you skip it.

1. Enter the parties. Use full legal names for every adult tenant — all of them are jointly and severally liable, meaning each is responsible for the whole rent. Add the landlord's name and an address for service in England or Wales; without one, notices and rent demands may be invalid.
2. Describe the property and rent. State the full address, the monthly rent, the day it is due, and the payment method. Be explicit about which utilities and council tax the tenant pays.
3. Record the deposit. Enter the amount — capped at five weeks' rent (six if annual rent exceeds £50,000) — and the scheme you will protect it in. See the deposit protection guide for the 30-day rule.
4. Set the terms. Confirm repair responsibilities, the pet-request process, and notice periods. Do not add a fixed term or a Section 21 break clause — both are now unlawful.
5. Sign, then serve the prescribed information. Both parties sign and date. Then serve the deposit prescribed information, a valid EPC, the current gas safety certificate, the EICR, and the government's How to Rent guide. Possession depends on having served these correctly.

Clause-by-clause: what each section does

Parties and property

Identifies who is bound by the agreement and exactly what is being let. Joint tenants share one tenancy; if one leaves, the tenancy continues for the others. Get the address and any excluded areas (a locked owner's cupboard, a separate annexe) right here.

Rent and rent review

Sets the rent, the due date and the method. Under the Renters' Rights Act you can raise rent only once a year, to market rate, using the statutory Section 13 procedure with two months' notice — rent-review clauses that bypass this are unenforceable. Our how to raise rent guide and the Section 13 notice template cover the process.

Deposit

Records the amount and scheme. Protect it within 30 days and serve the prescribed information, or you lose the right to recover possession and risk a penalty of up to three times the deposit.

Obligations and repairs

Splits responsibilities. You remain responsible under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 for the structure, exterior, and heating, water, gas and sanitation installations — you cannot contract out of this. The property must also meet the Decent Homes Standard.

Pets

The pet clause reflects the new law: a tenant can request a pet and you must not unreasonably refuse, though you can require pet insurance. A blanket "no pets" ban is no longer enforceable.

Ending the tenancy

Section 21 is gone. To recover possession you now use the Section 8 grounds-based process — rent arrears, sale of the property, moving back in, and other specified grounds. Tenants give two months' notice to leave.

Common mistakes that invalidate a tenancy

• Using an old fixed-term AST. Fixed terms and Section 21 break clauses are unlawful for new tenancies.
• Not protecting the deposit in time. The 30-day deadline is strict and the penalty is severe.
• Forgetting the prescribed documents. No valid EPC, gas certificate or How to Rent guide served = no possession.
• No landlord address for service. Rent may not be legally "due" until you provide one.
• Banning pets outright. Replace blanket bans with the reasonable-consent clause.

After the tenant moves in: protect your income

A signed agreement is the start, not the finish. The two cheapest forms of protection are a proper tenant reference before you sign and specialist landlord insurance that covers buildings, liability and loss of rent once they're in. Both are tax-deductible against your rental income — see the landlord tax deductions guide, and when it's time to file, our guide to how to download and complete the SA105 form.

Get the full pack, or just this template

This agreement is one of the documents in the Landlord Paperwork Pack, alongside the Section 8 notice, deposit prescribed information form, inventory, move-out checklist and pet permission form — all RRA 2026 compliant. Grab the pack below, or download this single template free in editable Word format.