What a London Tenancy Agreement Must Include (England, 2026)

A modern London tenancy agreement template has to do two jobs at once: it must comply with the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (RRA) that came into force across England on 1 May 2026, and it must reflect the borough-by-borough licensing patchwork that makes London the most heavily regulated rental market in the country. A template you downloaded in 2024 will almost certainly fail on both counts. Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies no longer exist, the old “no pets” and “rent review” clauses are now unlawful, and a generic national template will say nothing about the selective or additional licence your specific borough may require you to name.

This guide explains exactly what a compliant London agreement needs in 2026, why London differs from the rest of England, and how to fill the gaps that off-the-shelf templates leave open. It is written for England, in UK English, and reflects the law in force in June 2026.

Why a London tenancy agreement template is different

Nationally, every assured tenancy is now a rolling periodic tenancy with no fixed end date. The tenant can leave on two months’ notice; the landlord can only regain possession using a Section 8 ground. That much is the same in Cornwall as in Camden. What makes London distinct is the layer of local licensing sitting on top of national law.

Across the capital, individual councils run their own selective licensing schemes (covering ordinary single-family lets in designated wards) and additional licensing schemes (covering smaller houses in multiple occupation that fall outside the national mandatory regime). On top of that, Article 4 directions in many boroughs remove permitted-development rights, so converting a family home into a shared HMO can need planning permission. A London tenancy agreement template should therefore have a clear field for the licence reference number and the licensing authority, because a tenant who later discovers the property was unlicensed can apply for a rent repayment order.

The practical upshot: your agreement body can be a standard RRA-compliant periodic tenancy, but the schedule must carry London-specific particulars. Get the national clauses from a guide like How to Write a Tenancy Agreement in England (step-by-step), then layer the borough detail on top.

What every 2026 agreement must contain (national core)

Before the London specifics, the agreement must be legally sound under the RRA. The non-negotiable core is:

• The parties and the property, full legal names of all landlords and tenants, and the address let.
• Tenancy type, an assured periodic tenancy. Do not describe it as an “assured shorthold tenancy” or set a fixed term; both are obsolete.
• The rent and the rent period, the amount, when it is due, and how it is paid. Crucially, no rent-review or rent-escalator clause, these are banned. Rent can only be raised once a year using a Section 13 notice on the current prescribed form on GOV.UK.
• The deposit, the amount (capped at five weeks’ rent where annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks where it is £50,000 or more), and which government-backed scheme protects it.
• A lawful pet clause, reflecting the tenant’s statutory right to request a pet, which you must answer in writing within 28 days and cannot unreasonably refuse. You cannot require pet insurance as a condition.
• Access, confirming you will give at least 24 hours’ written notice before entering.
• Repairing obligations, the prescribed information and how-to-rent guidance, and gas/electrical/EPC certificate references.

For the deposit mechanics, see Tenancy Deposit Protection in England Explained. For the rent-increase machinery, see Section 13 Rent Increases Explained.

The London layer: licensing and borough particulars

This is where a national template falls short. Your London schedule should record:

1. Licensing status, whether the property is in a selective, additional or mandatory HMO licensing area, the licence reference number, the issuing borough, and the licence expiry date.
2. Licence conditions, many schemes impose conditions (waste arrangements, gas safety frequency, anti-social behaviour clauses). Where a condition affects the tenant, mirror it in the agreement so it is enforceable between you.
3. Article 4 / planning, if the property sits in an Article 4 area and is let to a single household, a clause preventing the tenant from sub-letting or creating an HMO protects your planning position.
4. Communal and service-charge arrangements, common in London blocks; state who pays what.
5. Ground rent and superior lease terms, if you are a leaseholder letting your flat, the agreement should not breach your own lease (e.g. sub-letting consent, no-business-use clauses).

To confirm which scheme applies to your postcode, start with HMO Licensing in England Explained and check your borough’s own register. Naming the wrong scheme, or leaving the field blank when a licence exists, is one of the most expensive mistakes a London landlord can make.

Comparison: outdated template vs RRA-ready London template

The left column is not merely out of date, using it can render clauses unenforceable and expose you to penalties. The right column is the minimum standard for a London let in 2026.

Worked example: filling in the template for a Hackney flat

Priya owns a two-bedroom flat in a Hackney ward covered by the borough’s selective licensing scheme. She is letting it at £2,000 per calendar month (£24,000 per year). Here is how the key fields resolve:

• Tenancy type: Assured periodic tenancy, monthly periods. No fixed term, no end date.
• Rent: £2,000 per month, payable on the 1st. No rent-review clause, Priya notes a diary reminder that she can serve a Section 13 notice no sooner than 12 months after the start (or after any previous increase) using the current prescribed form on GOV.UK.
• Deposit: Annual rent is £24,000, which is under £50,000, so the cap is five weeks’ rent. Five weeks = (£24,000 ÷ 52) × 5 = £2,307.69. Priya takes £2,307 and protects it in a government-backed scheme within 30 days, serving the prescribed information.
• Holding deposit (at offer stage): Capped at one week’s rent = £24,000 ÷ 52 = £461.54, so £461.
• Licensing schedule: Selective licence reference “LBH/SL/2026/xxxx”, issuing authority London Borough of Hackney, expiry date recorded, and the waste-storage condition from the licence mirrored into the agreement.
• Pets: A right-to-request clause. When the tenant later asks to keep a cat, Priya must respond in writing within 28 days (extendable by 7 days if she needs more information) and cannot refuse unreasonably, nor require pet insurance.

The body of Priya’s agreement is identical to a compliant template used anywhere in England; only the licensing schedule and the deposit arithmetic are London-shaped. For the agreement skeleton she can adapt, see the Free Assured Tenancy Agreement Template for England.

Clauses to delete from any old London template

If you are repurposing an old document, strip these out, they are now unlawful or void:

• Rent-review / annual-uplift clauses. Rent can only rise via Section 13.
• “No pets” blanket bans and any clause requiring pet insurance.
• Fixed-term and break clauses. There is no fixed term to break.
• Section 21 references of any kind. Section 21 is abolished; there is no replacement notice number, possession is via Section 8 grounds only.
• Banned fees. Anything beyond rent, a capped deposit, a capped holding deposit and a short list of permitted payments breaches the Tenant Fees Act 2019.

For the access rules you should keep and word correctly, see Landlord Right of Entry in England: The 24-Hour Notice Rule. For how tenancies now end, see How Tenancies End in England in 2026.

Serving and signing the agreement

Once drafted, the agreement should be signed before the tenant takes occupation, alongside the prescribed information, the EPC, the gas safety certificate (where applicable), the electrical condition report and the current government “How to Rent” guide. In London, where many lets are managed remotely or across multiple properties, electronic signature is now standard practice and is legally effective for tenancy agreements.

Keep a dated, complete record of what was served and when, the burden falls on you to prove compliance if a dispute arises. A tenant who can show the prescribed information was not served, or that the deposit was unprotected, gains powerful leverage and can frustrate a later possession claim.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official London tenancy agreement template?

No. There is no government-issued London-specific tenancy agreement. The Renters’ Rights Act sets the national framework, and each borough sets its own licensing rules. A “London template” is simply an RRA-compliant periodic tenancy agreement with a schedule that records the relevant borough licence and conditions. Always verify the current legal position on GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk.

Can I still use a fixed-term tenancy in London?

No. Since 1 May 2026 all assured tenancies are periodic by law. You cannot set a fixed term or a minimum term in the agreement. The tenant can end the tenancy on two months’ notice at any point, and you can only seek possession on a Section 8 ground.

Do I have to name a licence in the agreement?

There is no statutory requirement that the licence number appears in the tenancy agreement itself, but you must hold any required licence, and recording the reference in the schedule is good practice. Letting an unlicensed property where a licence is required can lead to civil penalties and a rent repayment order of up to 12 months’ rent, so identifying the correct scheme for your borough is essential.

How much deposit can I take on a London flat?

The cap is national, not London-specific: five weeks’ rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks’ rent where it is £50,000 or more. Given London rents, plenty of higher-end lets cross the £50,000 threshold, so check the figure carefully before deciding which cap applies.

Can I include a clause raising the rent each year?

No. Rent-review and automatic-uplift clauses are banned. The only lawful way to increase rent on a periodic assured tenancy is a Section 13 notice, served on the current prescribed form on GOV.UK, no more than once a year. If a tenant challenges it, the First-tier Tribunal cannot set the rent higher than the figure you proposed.

Can I refuse a pet in a London flat?

Only with a good reason, given in writing within 28 days of the request (extendable by a further seven days if you reasonably need more information). A blanket ban is unlawful, and you cannot require the tenant to take out pet insurance as a condition of keeping a pet. For wording, see How to Word a Pet Clause in a Tenancy Agreement After the RRA.

Coming soon

Tenancy Pilot is launching soon. Our document generator will build an RRA-ready London tenancy agreement with the borough licensing schedule, deposit caps and pet clause filled in correctly from the start, and our compliance tracker will flag certificate and licence expiry dates before they bite. Join the waitlist to be first in when we go live.

Disclaimer: This article is general information for England, not legal advice. Licensing rules vary by borough and change frequently. Always check the current position on GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk, confirm your borough’s licensing scheme with the council directly, and consult a qualified solicitor before relying on any tenancy agreement.