Joint Tenancy Rights and Responsibilities
How joint tenancies work, what happens if one person leaves, and joint and several liability explained.
In a joint tenancy, all tenants have equal rights to the whole property. But you also share equal responsibility for all the rent.
Joint and Several Liability
This is the key concept. It means:
- The landlord can chase any one of you for the full rent
- If one tenant doesn't pay, the others must cover it
- If one tenant causes damage, all are responsible
- This applies even if you have informal arrangements between yourselves
Even if you've agreed to split rent 50/50 with your housemate, your landlord can demand 100% from either of you.
If One Person Wants to Leave
- During a fixed term - need landlord's agreement to be released
- Periodic tenancy - one person giving notice can end the whole tenancy
- Remaining tenants may need to sign a new agreement
- Discuss with landlord about finding a replacement tenant
Official Sources
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