In a joint tenancy, all the tenants are responsible for the whole rent and the whole property. In an individual room-by-room agreement, each tenant is responsible only for their own room and a share of the common parts.
Joint suits couples and small groups
Joint tenancies are simple to manage and natural for households who will move in and out as a unit. They become awkward when one tenant wants to leave and the others want to stay.
Individual suits HMO-style stock
Room-by-room agreements are flexible: one tenant can leave without disrupting the others, but the administrative overhead is higher.
Match the agreement to the building
A four-bedroom student house and a couple’s flat are different products. The agreement should reflect that, not be cut and pasted.
