Who is responsible for payments in a joint tenancy?

In a joint tenancy at Enclave, all tenants share equal responsibility for the rent and other tenancy obligations. This is known as being “jointly and severally liable.”

What this means

• Shared responsibility: Everyone named on the tenancy agreement is responsible for ensuring the full rent is paid each month.

• Individual liability: If one tenant fails to pay their share, the others are legally responsible for covering the shortfall.

• Other charges: The same applies to damages, cleaning costs, or unpaid bills that fall under the tenancy agreement.

Practical example

If your monthly rent is £2,000 and four tenants are on the agreement, each might agree to pay £500. But if one person doesn’t pay, the landlord can legally ask the others to cover any due payment shortfall until the full £2,000 is resolved.

Helpful tip

Agree on how rent and bills will be managed as a group before moving in. Many tenants set up a shared account or nominate one person to collect and transfer rent to avoid missed payments.