Landlords and property owners! Are you considering 'Rent to Rent'?
If so - you need a proper form of tenancy agreement
‘Rent to rent’ where a property owner rents a property to a tenant, not for him (or her) to live in but to sublet to their own tenants, is becoming increasingly popular.
- Property owners like the idea of getting rental money without the hassle of dealing with tenants.
- The ‘rent to rent’ landlord can run a landlord business without having the expense of purchasing a property
However, despite what you might hear from the ‘gurus’, this is not an easy process. Many, many landlords and property owners have lost money through inappropriate ‘rent to rent’ schemes.
One of the problem areas is often the tenancy agreement between the property owner and their tenant – the middle person or ‘rent to renter’. Some of the problems are explained by the short video clip with solicitor David Smith (recorded in May 2018).
Enter the Landlord Law 'Rent to Rent' tenancy agreement
Although ‘rent to rent’ is fairly common, proper ‘rent to rent’ tenancy agreements are not. As David says in his talk, amending AST agreements is not advisable as they are simply not appropriate.
In 2020 we ran a special training day on ‘rent to rent’ where solicitor David Smith from JMW Solicitors and two of his colleagues gave talks on the most important aspects of ‘rent to rent’. As part of that event, David drafted up a special ‘rent to rent’ tenancy agreement which could be used in most situations.
This agreement is now available as a stand-alone product.
The agreement is:
- Suitable for most rent to rent situations
- Generic in nature – so you may need to adapt it for your specific use (although there is a separate version which has been adapted to include subletting for holiday lets)
- Clearly sets out the responsibilities of both parties
- Fairly balanced in terms of giving reasonable rights to both parties with a slight bias toward the rent to renter.
- Deals with obligations to repair, property licences and most of the issues discussed in the training talks
It is particularly important to have a proper agreement if you are the property owner – so if you are presented with a form by the ‘rent to renter’ you should either refuse to sign anything until it is checked by your solicitor or insist on a properly drafted agreement such as ours being used.
The Landlord Law agreement is ‘word’ format and once payment has been made can be downloaded from a special page on this site.
The download page also has some notes from David on using the agreement and the main areas that need adapting are highlighted yellow. If you require further help, you can purchase telephone advice from David via a link on the download page.
Consider buying access to the training too
In view of the problems that can arise with ‘rent to rent’ we strongly advise that you purchase the agreement together with the training – you can buy the agreement and the training together here for £420.What you need to do:
The cost of the agreement purchased alone is is £390 (ie £325 + VAT). To get it you need to
- Click the orange button below
- Or click the green button if you want the training also
- Pay the fee online (you can pay by credit/debt card or by pay pal)
- Make sure when completing the online information, that you input your email address correctly (or you may not get the notification emails)
- After payment you will be redirected to the download page, and
- You will be sent a receipt by our system for the fee paid, and
- An email with a link to the download page should you need to download the agreement again.
Answering. your questions
Can I have a refund if I consider the agreement is not suitable for me?
We cannot make refunds after the form is downloaded, as it cannot be returned. So refunds will only be paid at our discretion.
Who drafted the form and how can I be sure that it is well drafted?
The form was drafted by solicitor David Smith. David is a partner at JMW Solicitors and is very experienced in this work. For example, he has helped many landlords in difficulties due to inappropriate 'rent to rent' documentation.
My property is in Wales - can I use the agreement?
The agreement as it stands is not suitable for Wales, but it could be with some adaptation. You would need to get legal help for this.
My property is in Scotland - can I use the agreement?
The agreement is designed for use in England and Wales. It is not suitable for use in Scotland or elsewhere although it may be possible to adapt it - if so this must be done by a solicitor experienced in this work.
What should I do if I don't get the email after purchase?
Check your spam folder. If it is not there contact us via our green button support service.
It will have been sent out but sometimes customers make a mistake inputting their email!
