Date Published 06 January 2025

How Landlords Can Get the Best Out of Joint Tenancies

Many landlords will find themselves managing joint tenancies. Here are some tips on how to get the best out of them.

It's easy to understand why joint tenancies are so popular with renters in the UK. Sharing a tenancy with a friend, partner or family member means you can split the bills and divide up the chores. And it's nice (most of the time, at least) to come home to a familiar, friendly face.

However, joint tenancies rely on mutual trust and good communication to be successful. This requires tenants to understand and respect their responsibilities. Landlords also have a role to play in ensuring things run smoothly – albeit a supporting one.

While it's not up to a landlord to act as a referee or counsellor, there are proactive steps you can take to nurture good relations.

Make Sure Everyone Knows Where They Stand

Many people don't understand the fundamentals of a joint tenancy – until they fall out with their flatmate over unpaid rent or repair bills.

While the contract will spell it out in detail, it's useful for landlords to explain at the start of a tenancy that all tenants have ‘joint and several liability'. This phrase means that all tenants share the same responsibilities and rights. If one person fails to pay their rent, any of the other people on the contract can be required to pick up the shortfall.

The same goes for damage. For example, if one tenant spills wine on the sofa, all the tenants could be liable to cover the cleaning costs.

Be Proactive with Communications

Don't rely on one tenant to relay information to the others living in the property. They may or may not be a brilliant communicator, so don't leave it to chance.

Doing it yourself is the only way to ensure correct information is passed on. Always back up a conversation with an email sent to all tenants.

Arrears

If a tenant is behind with their rent, let all tenants know about the situation. (At this point, you'll be grateful that you've explained that phrase ‘jointly and severally liable'.)

The other tenants living in the property can provide valuable support in helping to get the tenant in question to pay their rent.

Get Professional Help

To make your life much easier, get a good letting agent to manage tenant relations for you. They'll have managed many joint tenancies before, and should a dispute arise over arrears, damage or deposit deductions, they can take the lead.

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*The information in this article does not constitute legal advice. Always refer to the terms of your rent agreement.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does ‘joint and several liability' mean?

This means that all tenants are equally responsible for meeting the terms of the tenancy agreement. If one tenant doesn't pay rent or causes damage, the others may be required to cover the shortfall or costs.

2. How should landlords communicate with joint tenants?

Landlords should communicate directly with all tenants, not relying on one to pass messages to the others. Always follow up conversations with an email to ensure clarity.

3. What should a landlord do if one tenant falls into arrears?

Inform all tenants of the situation. Other tenants may help resolve the issue, as they are equally liable for the rent under a joint tenancy.

4. Can a letting agent help manage joint tenancies?

Yes, a good letting agent can handle tenant relations, resolve disputes, and ensure compliance with the tenancy agreement, saving landlords time and stress.