Joint tenants are all responsible for:

• making sure the whole rent is paid

• looking after the property

This is sometimes called joint and several liability.

Agreeing how things should be split does not end joint and several liability but it can help if you disagree with the other joint tenants later on.

Paying rent

Only sign a joint tenancy agreement if you are confident the other tenants will pay their rent. This is because the landlord can ask any joint tenant to cover rent arrears.

Damage to the property

Joint tenants are all responsible for any damage to the property, so the landlord could choose who to ask to pay for it.

The landlord does not have to ask the joint tenant who has caused the damage to pay for it.

Paying bills and council tax

You can agree between yourselves how to split the bills. The person whose name is on the bill will be legally responsible for it. If the bill is in more than one person's name, everyone named on the bill is responsible for paying it.

You may not have to pay council tax if:

• everyone in the property is a student

• the council has said that the landlord is responsible for paying it

Repairs

Any joint tenant can report bad housing conditions and ask for repairs.

Problems with housemates

Sometimes people have disagreements in a shared house.

How to deal with problems with housemates.

Being asked to leave

Joint tenants cannot force each other to leave or exclude one person from the property. For example, by changing the locks.

The landlord cannot make one joint tenant leave without ending the tenancy for everyone.