Key Questions to Ask Before Signing a Tenancy

By Moving Into a Rental Property: First Week Checklist
Comments 35
31 Aug 2026

Key Questions to Ask Before Signing a Tenancy

Ask Before You Sign, Not After

A tenancy agreement is a legally binding contract, and once you have signed it, the terms are difficult to change. It is easy to focus on the things you can see — the size of the kitchen, the walk to the station, whether the garden gets any sun — and forget the paperwork. Yet the questions that matter most are often the least glamorous ones: how much notice you must give, how often the rent can rise, who fixes a broken boiler, and whether your partner can move in next spring.

Asking these questions before you sign is not being difficult. A good landlord or letting agent will welcome them, because a tenant who understands the terms is a tenant who stays. Here are the questions worth putting in writing, along with what a clear answer sounds like.

How Long Is the Tenancy, and How Does It End?

Find out whether you are being offered a fixed term — typically six or twelve months — or a periodic (often monthly) tenancy that rolls on until someone gives notice. Then ask about notice periods on both sides.

Your notice: usually at least one month, and often a full rental period, if you are on a monthly periodic tenancy. If you want to leave before the fixed term ends, you may remain liable for rent until the term expires unless there is a break clause.
The landlord's notice: for a periodic tenancy, a landlord must generally give at least two months' written notice. Ask whether any shorter notice has been agreed in the contract.
Break clauses: if there is one, when can it be used, how much notice is required, and does it work both ways?
Renewal: will you be offered a new fixed term at the end, and is there a fee for renewing?

A vague answer such as "don't worry, we're flexible" is not good enough. You want the actual wording, in the agreement, before you commit.

What the Rent Covers — and How It Can Change

Ask exactly what the rent includes and what it does not. Council tax, water, gas, electricity, broadband and TV licensing are usually the tenant's responsibility in a self-contained home, but not always — for example in a house in multiple occupation or a room let with bills included. Get this confirmed in writing so you can budget properly.

Then ask about increases. Most agreements include a rent review clause, which might allow an annual increase in line with market rents or a specified measure. Key questions:

How often can the rent be reviewed, and by how much?
What notice will you receive before an increase takes effect?
Are there any other charges — for example, for late payment or for replacing lost keys?
How much is the holding deposit, and is it refunded against the first month's rent or the deposit? It should be no more than one week's rent.
How much is the tenancy deposit, and which government-backed protection scheme will hold it? Deposits are generally capped at five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000. The deposit must be protected within 30 days, and you should receive the scheme details.

Who Can Live There, and Who Is Liable?

Check who is named as a permitted occupant on the agreement. If a partner, friend or family member may move in later, ask now whether that is allowed and what process applies. Most agreements prohibit anyone else living there as their only or main home without the landlord's written consent.

Other points to clarify:

Guests: is there any limit on how long a guest can stay?
Subletting and lodgers: usually forbidden without permission, so ask if you are considering it.
Pets: permission should be recorded in writing, along with any conditions.
Joint tenancies: if you sign with others, you are likely to be "jointly and severally liable", meaning the landlord can pursue any one of you for the whole rent. Understand this before signing with friends.
Guarantors: if one is required, ask exactly what they are committing to and for how long.

Repairs, Safety and Reporting Problems

Ask who you contact when something goes wrong, and how quickly you can expect a response. Landlords are responsible for the structure and exterior, installations for water, gas, electricity and heating, and appliances supplied with the property. You should also confirm:

Whether there is an out-of-hours emergency number, and what counts as an emergency.
That a current gas safety record, an electrical installation condition report and a valid energy performance certificate are available.
That smoke alarms are fitted, and carbon monoxide alarms where required.
The procedure for reporting damp, mould or heating faults, and how access for repairs will be arranged — normally with at least 24 hours' notice.

Ask for the reporting process in writing. A clear paper trail protects you if a repair is delayed.

Deposits, Inventories and Getting Answers in Writing

Before you move in, ask when you will receive the inventory or check-in report, and make sure you check it carefully, noting any damage or wear and photographing it. This document, more than anything else, determines what is deducted from your deposit at the end.

Finally, ask for the answers to all of these questions by email, and read the full agreement before signing — not on the doorstep with the keys in your hand. If something needs changing, request it in writing and keep a copy. Ten minutes of questions now can save months of uncertainty later.

Tenancy Rules

Deposit Protection Schemes: What Renters Need to Know

Thorough referencing protects landlords from unpaid rent and property damage. Check identity, income, previous tenancies, and guarantor options before granting a tenancy.

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5 Comments

Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply
- John Abraham says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
  
  I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
  Reply
  - Robert Sonnysays Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
    
    I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
    Reply
Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply

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