PIMS Tenancy Agreement FAQ
Renters’ Rights Act Questions Answered
✓ PIMS Renters’ Rights Compliant
This page answers common questions about the PIMS Tenancy Agreement for England from 1 May 2026. It explains how the agreement deals with periodic tenancies, possession grounds, rent payments, deposits, repairs, guarantors, vetting and practical landlord protection.
The aim is simple: use the correct agreement, complete it properly, and keep evidence at the start of the tenancy before problems arise.
✓ Renters’ Rights Ready
Before you use the agreement
The PIMS Tenancy Agreement is only one part of a safe letting process. The agreement should normally be used after the landlord has checked the applicant, considered affordability, reviewed guarantor protection where appropriate, prepared safety documents and confirmed the property is ready to let.
Vetting first
Do not rush to issue a tenancy agreement before the applicant has been properly checked.
Guarantor protection
Where affordability, student status or risk profile suggests guarantor support is needed, deal with this before occupation.
Evidence matters
Keep signed documents, certificates, information sheets, inventory records and repair contact details together.
From 1 May 2026, most private assured tenancies in England operate as assured periodic tenancies. The old assumption of a fixed-term assured shorthold tenancy with a Section 21 exit route no longer works in the same way.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement is drafted as an assured periodic tenancy from the start. It explains that there is no fixed end date, that the tenancy continues on a rolling basis, and that it must be ended in accordance with the agreement and the law.
PIMS WARNING £7,000 fine : The biggest mistake is using an old agreement by habit. If the agreement does not reflect the new tenancy framework, later possession, rent and compliance decisions can become harder to defend - AND the new Renters Rights Legislation means you can be fined up to £7,000 for an invalid agreement and if you issue unlawful notices fines £4,000 to £7,000.
Yes. The agreement confirms that the tenant may end the tenancy by giving two months’ written notice to the landlord. Where there is more than one tenant, notice given by one joint tenant can end the tenancy for all joint tenants.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement includes tenant notice wording, vacant possession wording, return of keys and belongings, and joint tenant notice consequences.
PIMS TIPS : Joint tenancies need careful handling. If one tenant wants to leave but others want to remain, do not casually agree to a “swap” without considering guarantors, deposit records, referencing and whether a deed of variation or new agreement is needed.
Yes, but the landlord must rely on the correct statutory possession process. The agreement explains that possession cannot be sought using Section 21 and that the landlord must rely on statutory grounds where available.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement includes a statutory possession procedure section. It explains that any notice must specify the statutory ground relied upon, give the required notice period, be in the prescribed form and that the landlord may only recover possession by obtaining a court order.
PIMS TIPS : Possession is now more evidence-led. Good vetting, guarantors, rent records, repair records and compliance documents matter more than ever.
Some possession grounds require the tenant to be told at the start of the tenancy that the landlord may later seek possession using that ground. Ground 1 relates to landlord or family occupation. Ground 1A relates to sale of the property.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement includes clear prior notice wording for landlord or family occupation and sale of the property. This is designed to preserve the landlord’s ability to rely on those grounds where the law and facts allow.
Ground 4A is a specific student possession ground. It should only be used where the property and letting arrangement qualify. It is not a general student landlord exit route for every property occupied by students.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement includes Ground 4A prior notice wording where relevant. The landlord should only include or rely on this wording where the property and tenancy are genuinely within the statutory student letting ground.
PIMS TIPS : Do not assume every student letting qualifies. Two-person student flats, non-HMO arrangements or mixed household situations may need a different possession and letting strategy.
The agreement distinguishes the initial rent payment from later rent payments. The initial rent payment for the first rental period may be required before the tenancy start date, subject to the permitted limits.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement states that the initial rent payment for the first rental period is permitted and required before the tenancy start date, but that this must not exceed 28 days’ rent where rent is payable weekly or one month’s rent where rent is payable monthly.
PIMS TIPS : Once the tenancy has started, rent should not be demanded before the agreed rent payment day. The agreement also makes clear that voluntary early payment by the tenant is different from the landlord requiring early payment.
Under the new framework, the landlord should think carefully before granting occupation. Once the tenancy starts, the landlord’s ability to recover possession depends on statutory grounds, evidence and process.
How PIMS helps:
PIMS encourages landlords to use tenant application checks, affordability checks, references, bank statement review, Right to Rent checks where applicable and guarantor consideration before granting the tenancy.
The decision is very simple - How risk averse are you - Under the new laws you are agreeing to rent for an unlimited term - People lives change (career, divorce, gambling). A prudent answer is on your Tenancy application form always ASK WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE YOUR GUARANTOR. Guarantors are especially important where the tenant has limited income history, student status, weak affordability, overseas income, poor referencing or other risk indicators. A guarantor is not a substitute for proper vetting, but can provide an additional layer of protection.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement contains guarantor wording and requires the guarantor section to be properly completed and witnessed where used. The guarantor should normally sign before the tenancy starts and before the tenant is allowed into occupation.
PIMS TIPS : Tenant swaps, part surrenders, rent changes and replacement tenants can affect guarantor liability. If the tenancy parties change, the guarantor position should be checked before agreeing the change.
The start of the tenancy should be treated as an evidence event. The landlord should provide the agreement, required statutory information, safety records, deposit information where applicable, inventory and any licence or addendum material relevant to the property.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement includes a tenant sign-off section confirming receipt of key documents, including the inventory, reporting repairs addendum, gas safety certificate where applicable, EPC, electrical safety certificate, property licence information where required, prescribed information where a deposit is paid and other relevant addenda.
Repair disputes often become important when a tenancy deteriorates, especially where rent arrears, complaints or possession proceedings follow. Clear reporting rules help show that the tenant knew who to contact and how to report problems.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement highlights the Reporting Repairs Addendum and requires the tenant to read and sign it. The addendum explains how to report repairs, urgent health and safety issues, access for repairs, tenant responsibilities and the importance of prompt reporting.
PIMS TIPS : A landlord cannot fix what they do not know about. The addendum supports a practical evidence trail showing that the tenant was given reasonable and accessible reporting methods.
The agreement recognises that the tenant may request permission to keep a pet and that consent must not be unreasonably refused where the law requires the landlord to consider the request.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement includes a pet request and consent framework. It allows the landlord to consider reasonable conditions, property suitability, insurance, superior lease restrictions, nuisance risk and practical management issues.
Yes. Property licensing is highly local and can vary between councils. The agreement cannot reproduce every local licensing condition, but it requires disclosure where the property or landlord is subject to licensing.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement includes licensing disclosure wording and makes clear that if a licence is required and not in place, the property must not be let. It also warns that non-compliance can create serious consequences, including civil penalties, rent repayment risk and possession restrictions.
PIMS TIPS : Always check the relevant council position before letting. Local licensing schemes change and conditions may need to be dealt with in a separate addendum.
Yes. The agreement expressly recognises the tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment and prevents unlawful interference by the landlord or anyone acting on the landlord’s behalf.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement balances quiet enjoyment with lawful access. Non-emergency access requires notice, reasonable times and a legitimate purpose. Emergency access is limited to genuine emergencies.
The landlord should not treat access wording as permission to force entry for routine matters. Non-emergency access should be by proper notice, reasonable appointment and tenant cooperation.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement provides for at least 24 hours’ prior written notice for non-emergency access, reasonable times of day, access for inspections, repairs, statutory obligations, valuation or survey, and controlled access for viewings.
If a deposit is taken, it must be protected within the required timescale and the prescribed information must be given. The agreement also identifies the lead tenant where there is more than one tenant.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement includes deposit protection wording, prescribed information, scheme details, lead tenant wording and a list of potential deduction categories by reference to breach, loss, evidence and reasonableness.
PIMS TIPS : Deposit deductions usually fail where there is poor evidence. Use a proper inventory, photographs, check-in records and clear communication at the start and end of the tenancy.
The landlord must not require prohibited payments. Any charge, fee or payment required from the tenant must be permitted by law.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement includes wording that any charge, fee or payment required from the tenant is only payable where permitted by law. Where a payment would be prohibited, the landlord must not request or require it.
This does not prevent the landlord from seeking lawful recovery of properly evidenced losses or damages arising from breach of the agreement through an appropriate lawful remedy.
The agreement allows email service where the recipient has agreed to electronic service. However, PIMS best practice is not to rely casually on email alone for important legal documents.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement includes a tenant consent section for email service. If this is not completed and signed properly, email service should not be relied upon as the sole method.
PIMS TIPS : For important notices, use a belt-and-braces approach. Serve the signed document properly and use email as a supporting copy and evidence trail where consent has been given.
Yes. Rent increases must follow the correct legal process. The landlord cannot simply increase the rent informally because the agreement says so.
How the PIMS agreement deals with this:
The agreement states that rent may only be increased in accordance with the law, using the prescribed statutory process where required. It also explains the tenant’s right to challenge a proposed increase.
Usually no. A holding deposit is part of the pre-tenancy process and should be handled separately from the tenancy agreement. It has its own rules, deadlines, consent requirements and refund consequences.
How PIMS handles this:
PIMS uses a separate holding deposit document. This avoids confusing a holding deposit with rent or tenancy deposit money before the tenancy has actually started.
A short agreement may look attractive, but it can leave gaps. The PIMS agreement is designed to explain the legal relationship, preserve key notices, record evidence, define expectations and reduce avoidable disputes.
How PIMS helps:
The agreement brings together tenancy terms, written information, possession notices, rent rules, deposit information, repair reporting, access provisions, guarantor wording and tenant sign-off in one practical document set.
PIMS TIPS : Prevention is better than cure. A clear agreement, proper vetting, signed evidence and the right documents at the start of the tenancy can save a landlord many hours, costs and disputes later.
Useful PIMS links
These pages help landlords move through the tenancy lifecycle in the right order.
Need to create a compliant tenancy?
Use the PIMS Tenancy Agreement after vetting is complete, guarantor protection has been considered, and the property documents are ready.