A solid tenancy agreement is meant to protect you. But some clauses that look “protective” on paper can cause serious trouble later—either because they’re unenforceable, unclear, or they make you look unreasonable if a dispute ever lands in front of a judge.
If you’re a self-managing or accidental landlord in England, the goal isn’t to include threats in your agreement. It’s to have a clear, lawful contract that supports calm communication and a clean paper trail when you need it.
Here are some common clauses landlords include because they feel helpful—and why they often backfire spectacularly.
1) “No pets under any circumstances.”
A blanket ban might sound simple, but it actually creates two problems:
- It encourages tenants to hide pets (which means you lose honest communication), and
- It can become a proper flashpoint in disputes
A better approach is a permission-based clause: pets may be allowed with written consent, subject to reasonable conditions (like professional cleaning or additional inspections). That keeps the door open, keeps control with you, and reduces the “us vs them” vibe that makes everything harder.
2) “You can’t have guests / overnight visitors.”
This one is surprisingly common—and surprisingly risky. Tenants have a right to quiet enjoyment of the property (they actually live there), and agreements that feel like you’re policing normal life can be viewed as completely unreasonable.
Instead of banning guests, focus on what you actually care about: unauthorised occupiers. A clearer clause says something like:
- Guests are fine, but
- Anyone living there as their main home must be declared, and
- Subletting is not allowed without written permission
That protects you without appearing controlling.
3) “Landlord can enter at any time with 24 hours’ notice.”
This clause is often written way too boldly. Even with notice, you can’t treat access as automatic. If you end up in a dispute, aggressive “right of entry” language can make you look heavy-handed, and it may encourage a tenant to dig their heels in just out of principle.
A stronger and more realistic clause is:
- access for repairs/inspections by appointment,
- reasonable notice given,
- emergencies are different (obviously),
- and cooperation is expected
The keyword is reasonable. If a tenant refuses access for essential repairs, you want your agreement to support a measured, documented approach—not a “we can enter whenever we like” argument that’ll get you nowhere fast.
4) “Professional cleaning required at the end of the tenancy.”
This is a classic backfire clause. It feels like a clever way to avoid cleaning disputes, but it can collide badly with deposit scheme principles, which tend to focus on returning the property to the same standard as at check-in (allowing for fair wear and tear), not whether a receipt exists.
Better wording is outcome-based:
- The property must be returned in a clean condition,
- consistent with the check-in inventory,
- minus fair wear and tear
If you want to make deposit deductions stick, evidence beats fancy wording every time: a good inventory, dated photos, and clear check-out notes.
5) “No repairs will be carried out during the tenancy.”
This one could be a disaster. Landlords have ongoing responsibilities for certain repairs and safety. A clause that tries to push all responsibility onto the tenant can look unlawful and can make you vulnerable if a dispute escalates—or worse, someone gets hurt.
A sensible agreement:
- sets out what the tenant is responsible for (keeping the property reasonably clean, reporting issues promptly, basic housekeeping), and
- what the landlord will handle (structural issues, installations, safety compliance)
The key here is clarity, not trying to dodge responsibilities you’re legally stuck with anyway.
6) “Automatic rent increases” with vague wording
Self-managing landlords sometimes include a clause such as: “Rent will increase annually at the landlord’s discretion” or “Rent will increase with inflation.” That kind of vague clause just causes arguments because it doesn’t explain:
- how the increase is calculated,
- when it happens,
- how much notice is given, and
- how it’s agreed
If you want rent rises to be smooth, use clear process language and keep it reasonable. A calm, transparent rent increase is far easier than a surprise hike followed by a tense relationship where nobody’s speaking to each other properly.
7) “Fines” for late rent, rubbish, noise, or ‘breaches.’
Penalty-style clauses can backfire badly because they often look like punishment rather than a genuine estimate of loss. Courts don’t like that. If you want protection, focus on:
- rent owed,
- interest (where lawful and clearly stated), and
- actual costs you can prove with receipts
Your agreement should support recovery of genuine losses, not “landlord-made fines” that won’t hold up anyway.
The simple rule: don’t write a contract you’d be embarrassed to show a judge
If your agreement reads like a set of threats, it can seriously undermine you when the stakes are high, and you actually need it to work.
The best tenancy agreements do three things well:
- they’re clear and realistic,
- they match how the law actually works in practice, and
- They help you build a clean evidence trail if things go wrong
That’s it. You don’t need to be clever or aggressive—you just need to be clear.
Consider joining the NRLA, which includes tenancy agreements among the documents it provides.
