Lodger agreement
When should I use this agreement?
Most tenancies in the private rented sector have to abide by the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. This means that you must have a court order to repossess the property if they do not leave at the end of a notice to quit/notice seeking possession.
However, certain types of agreement are known as 'excluded agreements' because they are excluded from these protections. In these cases, the landlord is entitled to regain possession without a court order by peacefully evicting the excluded occupier.
When do I have a lodger?
To take a lodger -
- You must share living accommodation with the lodger
- You must be using the property as your principle home at the start and end of the agreement
If you do not meet these conditions then you will normally have an assured shorthold tenancy and you should use our AST agreement instead.
If you live in the same building but do not share accommodation with the tenant, then this will not be a lodgers agreement. Instead it will be a non-assured tenancy.
Renters’ Rights Bill
The Renters' Rights Bill is expected to come into force in summer 2025, making the most significant changes to the private rented sector in over 30 years.
Amongst other things, the Bill will -
• Abolish Section 21;
• Change the type of tenancy you can offer;
• Introduce a new Decent Homes Standard to the PRS;
• Change advertising practices; and
• Significantly strengthen local authority enforcement powers.
The advice and resources on this page will be outdated once the Bill comes into force. The NRLA is currently preparing a suite of replacement guides and documents to help you manage the transition smoothly.
For further information on the passage of the Bill and its details, please see our dedicated campaigns hub
Purchase your NRLA Lodgers Agreement today for just £9.50
Gain total peace of mind that your tenancy agreement complies with all relevant legislation. Not only that, but if there any updates to our tenancy agreement following your purchase, you'll have 90 days to access the updated version via your guest membership.
Includes completion instructions.