Joint liability: A comprehensive guide for tenants

Whether you’re a student moving in with housemates or a professional looking for a house share with friends, getting the perfect rental property secured with great housemates can be a big relief. Living in a houseshare can bring plenty of fun, too. However, a shared property also comes with shared responsibility through a joint tenancy — this is known as ‘joint liability’.

To help you manage your rent and bills as a collective and help you understand your rights if one tenant can’t pay their rent, we’ve put together a joint liability guide. So, when you’re ready to find your ideal private professional or student accommodation in Newcastle, you’ll feel ready to handle your finances with confidence.

Top tip: The rental market involves a lot of technical phrasing, so check out our guide to renting terminology.

What is joint liability?

If you live on your own, you’re the lead tenant, therefore it’s your responsibility to pay the rent and bills. But when you share a rented property with another person or a group of people, it becomes a joint liability tenancy, meaning all people named on the tenancy are equally responsible for keeping up with the costs. 

With joint liability, you’re only accountable for your share of the rent — if a housemate defaults on their rent payment, it remains their responsibility. The landlord can only chase that person and won’t be able to demand the outstanding payment from you. The same goes for any accidental damage — the person who caused it will need to cover the repair costs.

Joint liability vs joint and several liability

You might also have heard of ‘several liability’. A tenancy with a joint and several liability clause is a little different. In this situation, your landlord can ask you to cover the costs if a housemate misses their rent or needs to pay for damage repair.

What are the advantages of a joint liability tenancy?

When everything is running smoothly, living in a shared house is great. You can develop excellent bonds with your housemates and have a lot of fun. From chore rotas and planning cosy film nights, to respecting one another’s space, there are many ways to keep house share dynamics harmonious.

However, it’s also important to keep in mind that everyone must pay their fair share of the rent and bills.

The main advantage of a joint liability tenancy over a joint and several one is that you won’t be under pressure or end up out-of-pocket if a housemate is unable to pay their rent. Missed payments can happen for a range of reasons, including a host of unforeseen circumstances. However, if you have to cover someone else’s costs, it can create tension and affect your own financial well-being.

Where do guarantors come in?

Most assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) in the UK, including those for student houses, do involve joint and several liability clauses. 

However, landlords and property managers ask for guarantors to make the process easier for everyone involved. A guarantor is usually a parent or family member who agrees to cover any rent payments you can’t pay. 

A guarantor enters the agreement by choice, so they need to read the legal tenancy documents very carefully and make sure they’re able and willing to pay any outstanding amounts. 

By having guarantors, a landlord can feel confident knowing the rent will be paid.

Learn more about the role of a guarantor, including what to do if you’re an international student without a UK-based guarantor.

Newcastle renting made easy with Seekers

At Seekers, we recognise that moving into your first student property or rented house involves a lot of new responsibilities, and getting your head around legal documents, jargon, and financial management can be tricky.

That’s why we make moving into your Newcastle accommodation as easy and stress-free as possible. Our team is on hand to guide you through the process, from finding the ideal property — whether you’re looking for Jesmond student accommodation, Sandyford student accommodation, or somewhere in the City Centre — to paying your deposit and handling bills. All of our student accommodation locations are central hubs for shopping, eating, nightlife, and finding part-time work. 

Our Tenant and Student Hubs feature helpful articles on living in rented accommodation, and we even have handy bills packages to make managing your money super straightforward. 

If you have any questions about joint and several liability and how our tenancy agreements work, please feel free to contact the Seekers team.