We know that legal documents can be confusing, so we have tried to break down the technical terms to make it a little more understandable.
Key parties:
Contract-holders – this will replace the term ‘tenants’. If you live in rented accommodation, you will be known as a contract-holder.
Community landlord – homes rented out by councils or housing associations – Cadwyn is a Housing Association/ Registered Social Landlord (RSL)
Private landlord – any other landlord who are not a community landlord
Types of contract:
Occupation contracts – these will replace existing tenancy agreements.
Secure Contract – for use by housing associations/ community landlord (Cadwyn). In general, RSLs will be required to enter into secure contracts, which offers greater security to the contract holder (tenant) compared to the standard contract.
Standard Contract – this is the default contract for the private rented sector but can be used by local authorities and RSLs in certain circumstances (e.g., a ‘supported standard contract’ within supported accommodation).
Joint Contract – contract-holders (tenants) can be added or removed from occupation contracts without the need to end one contract and start another. This can help support those experiencing domestic abuse by just targeting the abuser for eviction.
Supported Standard Contract – if you live in supported accommodation for over six months, you become entitled to this contract. Similar to the standard contract, this allows the contract-holder to change where they are living within the building, and give the landlord the ability to temporarily exclude the contract-holder from the dwelling for up to 48 hours.
In the Written Statement:
Key Matters – to be included in the written statement, this refers to essential information, such as names and the address of the property.
Fundamental Terms – to be included in the written statement, this covers the most important parts of the contract, such as the landlord’s obligations to repairs and how a landlord can get possession of a house.
Supplementary Terms – to be included in the written statement, this looks at the more practical, day-to-day matters, such as notifying the landlord if the property will be left unoccupied for over four weeks.
Additional Terms – to be included in the written statement, this addresses any other specifically agreed terms, such as keeping pets.
Other important terms:
Fit for human habitation (FFHH) – this is where a property is in condition where contract-holders (tenants) can live safely.
Retaliatory eviction – this is where a landlord evicts a contract-holder (tenants) through no fault of the contract-holder (tenant). The new contracts will provide more protection from this happening.
Abandonment Procurement – RSLs can repossess an abandoned property without needing a court order.