Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreements (AST)

The assured shorthold tenancy (AST) is the most common form of agreement in the private rented sector (PRS).

It should be used wherever the following conditions are met -

• The rent is between £250 and £100,000 per annum
• The tenants are people rather than an organisation such as a company
• The property will be the tenant's main home
• The landlord does not live in the same property as the tenant.

This page provides a number of our assured shorthold tenancies, as well as answering some frequently asked questions on what your obligations are when creating an AST.

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The advice and resources on this page will be outdated once the Bill comes into force.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

What ASTs are available to NRLA members?

To provide as much flexibility as possible to you, NRLA members have access to three different types of assured shorthold tenancy agreement. Each one is suitable for a different situation:

• Joint AST for a family, an individual or two people who are unrelated- this agreement is to be used where you are renting out the entire property using one agreement. this agreement is designed to be used with or without a security deposit.
• Joint AST for a group of sharers - this agreement is for use where you are renting a property to three or more people and at least two of them are unrelated to each other. These type of arrangements are known as houses in multiple occupation (HMO) and have their own specific requirements which the tenancy agreement covers.
• Standard Room-only AST - you should use this agreement if you are renting out your property by the room with or without a security deposit.

Members only

The remainder of this page is available exclusively to members of the NRLA.

As a member of the NRLA you will be able to download any of our documents including all of our versions of the AST, as well as an addendum for adding your own clauses. We also provide guidance on topics such as ending the agreement, deposit protection, and what else you need to provide to fulfill your legal obligations.