| Buying an online tenancy agreement can be a | | | | clauses or even guidance to allow you to tailor |
| challenging task, especially if you are a first time | | | | your tenancy agreement to your own |
| landlord or are new to purchasing legal documents | | | | circumstances. Many are out of date due to |
| online. | | | | clauses being challenged in court and have been |
| First and foremost, allow plenty of time to | | | | found unfair and non-enforceable. For example |
| research and buy forms, as if your tenants move | | | | you could state “pictures not allowed to be |
| in without signing a good quality tenancy you could | | | | hung on walls”. This clause could be challenged |
| find that you or your property are not legally | | | | in court with the argument that the tenant has |
| protected. | | | | the right of enjoyment of the property. As long |
| Before buying an agreement you need to decide | | | | as the walls were made good at the end of the |
| whether you are going to search for tenants | | | | tenancy, the landlord would not have any grounds |
| yourself or you are going to use the services of | | | | to with hold or make deductions from the deposit. |
| a letting agent. If you opt to do the work | | | | When looking at potential downloadable tenancy |
| yourself you need to fully understand the legalities | | | | forms ensure there are recently updated clauses, |
| of tenancies. If you are unsure or do not | | | | guidance notes to allow for easy completion and |
| understand how landlord and tenant laws work | | | | customisation, that the agreement has been |
| you may prefer to use the services of an estate | | | | checked or approved by a solicitor or barrister, |
| or letting agency. Make sure you enquire as to | | | | has references to tenancy deposit schemes to |
| whether they supply and complete the | | | | ensure compliance with new regulation, sample |
| agreement forms for you. As once you have | | | | pages, and is delivered in a format that your |
| bought and downloaded digital forms you are | | | | computer can process. |
| usually unable to return them. | | | | Most tenancy agreements will cost between £5 |
| There are numerous online legal document stores | | | | and £25 and come complete with a licence for |
| from which you are able to download and print | | | | unlimited personal use. The main difference |
| tenancies. You even have some well known high | | | | between agreements bought online, to forms |
| street shops selling agreements on and offline in | | | | purchased in your local shop is the date that the |
| local outlets. So how do you know that the forms | | | | document was produced. Online tenancy forms |
| you download are worth the paper they are | | | | are easily updated year after year in line with |
| printed on? | | | | relevant changes to the housing and tenant act, |
| In the majority of cases you have no real way | | | | where as amass produced tenancy will remain he |
| of telling the tenancy agreement you are about | | | | same as its original publication due to the nature |
| to purchase is good or bad. Most agreements are | | | | of print. |
| pre formatted with no means of changing the | | | | |