Tenancy agreement review

How the review process works

The process is designed to be straightforward and fast, with no subscription or ongoing commitment required. You submit your tenancy agreement through the intake form linked below, upload it as a PDF, and provide basic information about the property and the parties. Within one business day you will receive an acknowledgement confirming receipt and the expected delivery date of the written report. The report is delivered by email as a PDF document that you can save, share with housemates, or forward to a solicitor if you need further legal advice.

The report covers each clause in turn, grouped by topic area: the tenancy structure and legal framework, deposit and holding deposit compliance, repair and maintenance obligations, notice periods and termination terms, guarantor deed requirements, and any student-specific provisions such as Ground 4A prior notice requirements or HMO licensing compliance. For each clause, the report states whether it is compliant with the current statutory framework, whether it raises a concern that should be addressed before signing, or whether it is unenforceable and should be flagged to the landlord in writing. Suggested wording is provided for clauses that need to be renegotiated, along with the specific statutory reference that supports the proposed revision.

The report is editorial analysis, not regulated legal advice. It does not create a solicitor-client relationship and is not a substitute for representation in court or tribunal proceedings. If your matter involves an active possession hearing, a deposit claim in the county court, or a Rent Repayment Order application, you should instruct a solicitor or an accredited housing adviser who can provide regulated advice and, if needed, represent you in proceedings. The report can be shared with your solicitor to speed up their own review and reduce your costs if you need to escalate to formal legal representation.

What we check (every time)

• Is the agreement an assured periodic tenancy under the 2026 framework, or has the landlord used a pre-1 May 2026 template that says "fixed term"?
• Are there clauses purporting to contract out of the Act (a new fixed term, a "no notice" clause, a waiver of statutory protection)? These are void; you should know which.
• Deposit clauses vs the five-week cap, the 30-day registration, and the prescribed information.
• Guarantor deed — execution, witness, scope, release on periodic conversion.
• Repair and condition clauses that try to shift statutory obligations to the tenant.
• Service of notices clause — what address, what method.
• For student lets: Ground 4A prior notice, joint vs sole tenancy, what happens if one tenant leaves.
• Council tax wording and whether the property is in an HMO licensing scheme.
• Wrong-country residue — e.g. an England template used for a Cardiff property, or clauses referencing Section 21 in a Welsh or Scottish let.

Who this service is for

This review is designed for tenants who have received a tenancy agreement and want a documented second opinion before signing, who have received a possession notice and want to understand whether it is valid, who are in a deposit dispute and need an independent assessment of the landlord's deduction list, or who are planning to leave a tenancy and want to confirm their notice is valid and their liability is limited. It is also suitable for student housing cooperatives and groups of joint tenants who want a single consolidated report on the agreement they have all been asked to sign, which can be shared among the group and discussed before any individual commitment is made.

If you are an international student renting for the first time in England and are unfamiliar with the standard form of assured shorthold tenancy agreements or the protections available under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, the review explains each clause in plain English and flags the sections that require your specific attention, including deposit protection timelines, guarantor deed requirements, and any clauses that attempt to contract out of statutory protections that are void under the current framework.

Turnaround and price

• Turnaround: Check the current published turnaround on the live site.
• Price: Check the current published price on the live site.

Both are set on the live pricing page and shown to you at checkout.

Sample red flags a review would catch

To give you a sense of what the review covers, here are three real clauses we regularly flag in student tenancy agreements. These examples illustrate the type of issues that a trained reviewer can identify in minutes but a tenant reading the agreement alone might miss.

Example 1: Fixed-term lock-in after May 2026. A clause stating that "the Tenant agrees that this tenancy shall continue for a fixed term of 12 months and the Tenant shall be liable for the full rent for the whole fixed term regardless of early departure." Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, fixed-term lock-in clauses in assured shorthold tenancies in England are unenforceable from 1 May 2026. The tenant is not liable for rent beyond the two-month notice period, regardless of what the pre-2026 template states. The review would flag this clause and explain how to respond to the landlord or agent in writing.

Example 2: Waiver of deposit protection. A clause stating that "the Tenant agrees that the deposit may be held by the Agent in their client account and need not be lodged with a government-approved scheme." This is void under the Housing Act 2004. The deposit must be lodged with one of the three approved schemes (TDS, DPS, or MyDeposits) within 30 days of receipt. The review would flag this as a serious compliance issue and advise the tenant not to proceed until the deposit is properly protected.

Example 3: Unrestricted landlord entry. A clause stating that "the Landlord or their Agent may enter the Property at any time for the purpose of inspection or repair without prior notice to the Tenant." This conflicts with the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment recognised in English housing law. The landlord must give reasonable notice — typically 24 hours — before entering. An unrestricted entry clause is unenforceable. The review would flag the clause and provide suggested wording for a compliant alternative.

How to prepare your documents for review

To get the most out of the review, prepare your documents before submitting them through the intake form. Upload the tenancy agreement as a single PDF file with all pages included — do not omit schedules, annexes, or appendices, as these often contain important terms about deposit holding, guarantor obligations, and service of notices. If you have also received a Section 8 notice or a Ground 4A prior notice, upload that as a separate PDF. If the agreement was provided as a digital signature platform (such as DocuSign or GoodSign), download a completed copy with all signatures visible before uploading.

Include a brief note in the intake form about any specific concerns you have: clauses you do not understand, verbal promises the landlord made that are not reflected in the written agreement, or any history of deposit delays or repair issues. This context helps the reviewer focus on the sections that matter most to your situation. If you are a joint tenant, indicate whether all tenants are submitting the review together or whether you are commissioning it individually. The written report will be addressed to the person who submitted the intake form and can be shared with housemates, a guarantor, or a solicitor as needed.

The review is not a substitute for regulated legal advice and does not create a solicitor-client relationship. If you need representation in court or tribunal proceedings, you should instruct a solicitor or an accredited housing adviser. The review can be shared with your solicitor to speed up their own assessment and reduce the time they need to spend reviewing the agreement from scratch.

What we don't do

• We do not represent you in court.
• We do not negotiate with your landlord directly.
• We do not provide regulated legal advice; we are not a firm of solicitors.
• We do not review tenancy documents in languages other than English.

If your matter has reached the county court or you have a possession hearing scheduled, you need a solicitor or accredited adviser, not a written review.

Frequently asked questions about agreement reviews

When a review is the right next step

Worth getting a review when:

• a notice has been served and you are not certain it is valid (see Section 21 abolished: a tenant's action page for the first check);
• a contract has been offered and you don't understand a clause;
• a deposit is being withheld and a deduction list has arrived (see Deposit dispute letter (2026): the template and the steps for the template);
• the household is changing — someone leaves, someone joins;
• the landlord is verbally pressuring you and you want a written, dated, reviewable answer;
• a Ground 4A prior notice has been served and you want a written view on its defects.

This guide is general information, not legal advice for your specific situation. A licensed attorney or regulated adviser should review your documents before you rely on a strategy or deadline.