Landlord Law Services

Legal help, services and support for private residential landlords

 

Do you rent to sharers?

What happens if one of them wants to move out?

All landlords will come across this situation at one time or another:

 

  • The student in a shared student house who drops out of the course
  • The tenant in a shared property whose job moves him to another city
  • The couple who split up

Changing the tenants seems a simple and straightforward thing to do  - but because you are dealing with legal interests in land, it's actually not:

  • It’s not a good idea to just cross the outgoing tenant’s name out in the tenancy agreement and write in the new tenant.  That won’t be legally effective
  • Assignment is unnecessarily complex and may prevent you claiming money due before the assignment took place
  • Allowing tenants to sort it out themselves can be a recipe for disaster (particularly as breach of the right to rent rules now carries a custodial sentence)
  • You also need to be VERY careful about recouping any costs in view of the provisions of the Tenant Fees Act 2019 or the Welsh equivalent

What you need is a clear straightforward guide which will explain the law in an understandable way and give you a step by step guide on what you need to do

Help is at hand!

Developing a solution

I’m Tessa Shepperson, a specialist landlord & tenant lawyer.  For many years I ran my own solicitors firm and now I provide training and information services to landlords and letting agents.

Managing rented property is not straightforward as you are dealing with legal interests in land.  One problem area I have seen is where a property is let to sharers for a fixed term but one of the sharers wants to move out before that term is ended.

It is a tricky situation as there are a number of possible courses of action and it is easy to get things wrong.  Which is why I have created this kit to help you.

The kit has now been updated to cover the changed laws in Wales.

Tessa Shepperson
Changing Tenants Kit

The Changing Tenants Kit​

What the kit contains:

  • Guidance section on how to use the kit
  • Legal background sections (one for England and one for Wales) which looks at:
    • Tenancy / Occupation Types
    • Fixed terms and periodic tenancies
    • The different ways that sharers can rent property
    • How these rules now apply in Wales
  • The step by step guide which looks at
    • Preliminary issues and an alternative option
    • The options available to you during the fixed term
    • The options available to you if the tenancy is periodic
    • Family situations in Wales
  • Some further resources

The idea of the kit is that it contains all the information you need in order to deal with changing tenants legally.  So if you are faced with this situation – you have somewhere you can go to find out your options and what you need to do.

Cost is £60 – £50 + VAT.

Note for Welsh Landlords

The kit has now been updated and includes sections covering the changed rules in Wales.  

A Mobile Friendly website

All our content is hosted on a mobile responsive website, which allows you to read and study the kits easily, and watch the videos on most devices, including smart-phones and tablets.

So, the kit can easily be accessed, for example on your smart-phone, while travelling or waiting in a queue.

Be aware that the kit is wholly electronic. Nothing is sent out by post.

Users feedback on the kit:

""The information in this kit is very clear and easy to understand. It has given me far more confidence about dealing with these issues with my tenants."  
Janet Lacey
Landlord
"Once again, Tessa has supplied a succinct yet detailed kit which gets to the heart of the issues and offers best practice solution"
Tracey Fisher
Letting Agent
"This is a very useful legal kit to help the unwary avoid some common pitfalls. Clear, straightforward guidance. Useful tips and guidance, backed up by the appropriate references in Law. I would recommend the kit"
Nicky
Landlord Adviser
"This is a great way to quickly become appraised of the legal reasons for doing things a certain way. It is easy to read and covers the setting up of tenancies correctly, things to consider, and what to do in the event of disaster"
Sally Prittie
Landlord
"Well put together. Informative. Easy to follow"
 Ben Tahouri
Letting Agent
Written in plain English, the kit is thoughtfully arranged as an easy to follow step by step guide for landlords and anyone who manages tenancies. In addition, it provides the legal basis for a potentially contentious issue along with real practical solutions"
Gerry Henry
Property Manager

Your questions answered:

Q: What if I can’t access the kit or if it does not work on my computer?
A: It should do, this is a standard WordPress website.  However, if you have a problem check out our support section, and/or contact us.  If the problems cannot be resolved, you can claim your money back under our guarantee. 

Q: I am based in  Wales, can I use the kit?
A: Yes, the kit has now been updated to include guidance under the new legal rules in Wales.

Q: I am based in Scotland, can I use the kit?
A: Scotland has a different legal system, as does Northern Ireland.  So although some of the practical points may be relevant, the legal points will not.

Q: How long do I get access?
A: You get ‘lifetime’ access – this means that you will be able to use the kit as long as this site is up and running (ie for the lifetime of this website). Although we only guarantee a 12 months access – so if the site gets taken down for any reason during the first 12 months after purchase, you can claim a refund of a proportionate part your purchase price.

Q: I am a Landlord Law member – do I need the kit?
A: No.  This kit is included as part of your membership entitlement.

Q: Can I ask you questions about my particular issues?
A: The kit does not include any ‘one to one’ advice element. However, if you are a Landlord Law member you will be able to ask questions via our members’ forum.

Q: I prefer not to pay online – can I pay by BACS or cheque?
A: No.  We only accept payment via our online system.  However, you can elect to pay by either credit / debit card or pay pal.

Q: I only let to families – do I need the kit?
A: The kit is a reference to help you deal with the situations where one of joint tenants wants to leave early.  If both partners are on the tenancy agreement, this is a situation which could arise – for example, if one partner moves out leaving the other in occupation (maybe with the children).  So it could well be relevant for you.  But you are less likely to need it than if you rent to a group of young professionals or students. 

We do however have a section looking at how the new rules apply to family situations in Wales

Q: What do I do if I want to cancel?

A: See our guarantee below

Our guarantee to you

If you find the kit is unsuitable for you in any way – all you need to do is email us requesting a cancellation not later than 30 days after purchase, giving your reason why.

We will then cancel your purchase (and your access) and refund your money within 14 days.

How to buy the kit

  • If you have bought anything else from us in the past – eg the Property Inspection Kit – you will need to log in.  Use your email as your username and if you can’t remember your password, click the lost password link to get a new one
Be careful about buying products under different email addresses as this will make accessing your purchases difficult – as they will be stored separately.  If you have changed your email, log in under your old email address and amend your records, or contact us and ask us to do this for you.
  • Come back to this page and click the buy now button
  • This will take you to the purchase page
  • You can pay either by pay pal or by credit / debt card (the page just says credit card but you can use your debit card too)
  • Once the payment goes through you will be taken to a thank you page which has a direct link to the Course. You should also receive several emails – one will be a receipt for your payment, another will provide access information.

If you have any problems contact us via the help form you will find on the basket and checkout pages.

All kits are sold subject to our standard terms and conditions (the link will open in a new window or tab).

*Note – Do not buy this kit if you are a Landlord Law  member as it is included with your membership.

Click here to buy now for £60 (£50 + VAT)
""The information in this kit is very clear and easy to understand. It has given me far more confidence about dealing with these issues with my tenants."  
Janet Lacey
Landlord
"Once again, Tessa has supplied a succinct yet detailed kit which gets to the heart of the issues and offers best practice solution"
Tracey Fisher
Letting Agent
"This is a very useful legal kit to help the unwary avoid some common pitfalls. Clear, straightforward guidance. Useful tips and guidance, backed up by the appropriate references in Law. I would recommend the kit"
Nicky
Landlord Adviser
"This is a great way to quickly become appraised of the legal reasons for doing things a certain way. It is easy to read and covers the setting up of tenancies correctly, things to consider, and what to do in the event of disaster"
Sally Prittie
Landlord
"Well put together. Informative. Easy to follow"
 Ben Tahouri
Letting Agent
Written in plain English, the kit is thoughtfully arranged as an easy to follow step by step guide for landlords and anyone who manages tenancies. In addition, it provides the legal basis for a potentially contentious issue along with real practical solutions"
Gerry Henry
Property Manager