Nobody reads tenancy agreements until something goes wrong — at which point the contract suddenly becomes the most important document in your life. Here's what a London room contract actually contains, which clauses deserve your ten minutes, and the wording that should make you pause.
First: Which Kind of Contract Is It?
Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST). The standard for renting a room or flat from a private landlord. Full statutory protections: deposit must go in a government scheme, eviction requires proper notice and process, repairs are the landlord's duty.
Individual room contract. Common in co-living: you sign for your room, flatmates sign for theirs. Legally usually still an AST — with one large practical upside: a flatmate leaving, defaulting or vanishing is never your financial problem. This is Nook's model.
Joint tenancy. One contract, every flatmate's name on it, everyone "jointly and severally liable" — legal English for if one person doesn't pay, the rest of you owe their share. Fine among trusted friends; risky among strangers.
Lodger licence. You live in the landlord's own home. Fewer protections, shorter notice both ways. Not wrong — but know that's what you're signing.
The Six Clauses Worth Reading Twice
1. Term and break clause. Fixed term (you're committed) or periodic (rolling)? A break clause at month six turns a scary 12-month term into a manageable one. No break clause + long term = the single most common regret. Flexible terms from three months exist — especially in co-living.
2. Deposit: amount and scheme. Legal cap: five weeks' rent (annual rent under £50k). The contract must name the protection scheme (DPS, TDS or mydeposits). At Nook the deposit is four weeks — one full rent period — and the scheme is written into every contract. Full deposit rules.
3. Notice period. How much notice must you give, and from when — any day, or only rent-period boundaries? Two months' notice on a periodic tenancy is common; one month is kinder.
4. What the rent includes. If bills are included, the contract should list them by name — WiFi, electricity, water, council tax — plus any usage caps with actual numbers. "Bills included*" with an unexplained asterisk is a conversation to have before signing, not after. The decoder.
5. Guest and subletting rules. Most contracts restrict subletting (fair) and some restrict overnight guests (read the actual limit). Know the rules you're agreeing to live under.
6. Repairs and deductions. Landlord handles structure, heating, water and electrics by law — that can't be contracted away. Check the check-out clause: professional cleaning demands must be reasonable, and deposit deductions need evidence. Your day-one photos are that evidence.
Red Flags in the Wording
Rent in cash only. No deposit scheme named. "Non-refundable holding fee" over one week's rent (illegal). Blank spaces "to be filled in later". Pressure to sign at the viewing. A landlord who won't share the contract before move-in day. Any one of these is a walk-away signal — the scam patterns guide covers the rest.
Before You Sign: The Two-Minute Ritual
Read the term, the notice, the deposit clause and the inclusions list — that's 90% of future disputes. Screenshot the signed copy somewhere you'll find it. And if anything was promised verbally ("we'll replace that mattress"), get it in an email before money moves. At Nook, contracts are shared before your viewing decision, in plain English — see the rooms, ask for the contract, read it with a cup of tea. That's how it should work everywhere.
