Note: Any tenancies commencing on or after the 1st December 2017 will be Private Residential Tenancies (PRT), and any created before this date, or which are renewals of existing tenancies, shall be Short Assured Tenancies (SAT).
To create a tenancy agreement, please follow the steps below:
Go to Tenants > Create tenancy
Select the address of the property this tenancy is to be created for
Select the relevant agreement template
Ensure the incoming tenants are ticked within the Select column
Information on the data to be entered in each section is detailed below for reference:
1. Tenancy payment
Set the date of entry for the property (move-in date for tenants)
Ensure the rent amount and payment frequency are correct
2. Pro rata payment
This section can be used should the tenant wish to change their rent due date, if the agency deals with 1st of the month collections or if the tenants are making an upfront payment.
If this is not required, please leave this section blank.
2.1 1st of month collections/change in rent due date
Pro rata date: This is date in which the tenant is to make their first full rent payment. For example, if the client moves in on the 15th March but would like to pay on the 24th of each month, set the pro rata date to 24th March. Similarly, set if this tenant is to pay on the first of each month, the pro-rata date would be the 1st April.
First rent payment: This will contain the pro-rated amount for the period from the lease start date to their first full month's rent payment due date. Click on the Calculate pro rata rent button to auto-calculate this partial amount.
2.2 Upfront payments
Pro rata date: This should be the date 3/6 months after the date of entry. For example, if the tenant moves in on the 15th March and is paying 6 months upfront, the pro rata date would be set as the 15th September.
First rent payment: This should contain the amount of rent the tenant is paying upfront. When the pro rata date has been set, click the Calculate pro rata rent button to calculate the advanced rent amount.
3. Deposit details
Set the required deposit amount
Selecting the deposit scheme name is optional and only required if your tenancy agreement template includes our deposit scheme merge fields
Note: Your system superuser can amend the default deposit scheme name that appears here by going to Admin > View all employees > Admin page > Financial > Deposit schemes.
4. Landlord payment
Enter the regular payment date to the owner - this defaults to 14 days after the tenant rent payment date
The monthly amount is calculated as the full rent minus your management fee
If an extra payment is to be made to the owner, enter this date in the Additional payment field (only applicable for pro-rata payments)
5. Document options
Select documents to create: Defaults to generate all documents. Update this dropdown to generate the tenancy agreement alone or to generate no documents at all.
Download Tenancy Agreement as a Word document: Tick this checkbox to download the tenancy agreement in Word document format. Please note, this cannot be used if the agreement is to be electronically signed.
Set property status to awaiting move in: If ticked, the property status will automatically update to Awaiting move in when the tenancy has been created.
Use pre-printed headed notepaper: If the agreement is to be printed onto pre-printed headed notepaper, tick this checkbox.
Use electronic signatures: If the agreement is to be signed electronically via Signable, tick this checkbox.
6. Document creation
Once all the required information has been entered, users can then proceed with creating the tenancy documents.
There are two options available when it comes to generating the documents, please find information on both options below:
Create tenant documents - documents will be generated in separate pop-up windows.
Create documents and email - documents will be generated as above and a pre-populated email to the tenants and any guarantors (if applicable) will pop up which contains links to their tenancy documentation
7. Signable
If Use electronic signatures was ticked at the point of creating the documents, users will be automatically directed to the View open Signable documents page in a new browser tab.
To send a document for electronic signing, click on the tick icon within the Send column. Note: We recommend that the generated agreement is revised prior to being sent for signing.
Note: When a tenancy is created, the system creates ten years of rent due dates and landlord payment dates. When the property has an annual rent increase or inflationary uplift, ten more years of rent reminders will be added from that date.
NOTE: SME Professional are not responsible and will not be held liable for any legal repercussions that result from this, nor are we qualified or insured to give legal advice. If clients wish to make any amendments/deletions/additions to our standard template or to use their own, they will be wholly responsible for ensuring that said tenancy agreement is admissible by law.
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