If you have a property that you want to rent out to tenants in order to earn rent from them, most tenancies created these days are Assured Shorthold Tenancies. 

This means that provided the tenant complies with their part of the agreement and with all the rules set out in the tenancy agreement, a landlord is not entitled to get the property back until the tenancy has run out.  Even then, proper notice must have been served on the tenants, and if they refuse to go, you must apply for a possession order. As you can see, this gives the tenant some protection against being thrown onto the street by a landlord.

Any attempt to evict the tenant unlawfully may open you up to a claim for substantial compensation by your tenants and possibly also criminal proceedings. 

Any landlord who experiences problems with their tenants ought to ask us for advice before taking any action against their tenants, as taking matters into your own hands could land you in hot water.

In addition to the amount of rent payable, the Tenancy Agreement will need to cover who pays for the other bills relating to the property, including insurance and Council Tax. 

It is usual for a landlord to ask any incoming tenant to give them a sum of money called a deposit, which the landlord will keep to safeguard against any rent not being paid or any damage being done to the property.

Since April 2007 there are new rules in force to deal with deposits, and you must ensure that the Tenancy Agreement complies with the regulations on deposits - if it doesn't, you could find that the tenant is entitled to compensation.