An AST template for letting a single room in a property where other tenants rent rooms separately. Each tenant has their own agreement covering their own room and shared rights over common areas. RRA 2025-compliant.
What this document is
This template is for letting individual rooms in a property where other tenants are also renting on individual agreements. Each tenant has exclusive possession of their own room and shared rights over kitchen, bathroom, and living areas.
The arrangement differs from a single joint AST (where one group rents the whole house together) and from a lodger arrangement (where you live in the property as your main home). Room-only ASTs are common in young-professional house shares and HMOs.
When to use it
Use a room-only AST when:
- You are not living in the property (otherwise use a lodger agreement).
- Each tenant signs their own separate agreement, not a joint AST.
- Tenants don't form a "household" — they are separate individuals sharing facilities.
- You want the flexibility to replace one tenant without affecting the others.
HMO considerations
If you let three or more rooms to people who don't form a single household, the property may be a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). HMOs have additional licensing and safety requirements. Properties with five or more occupants from two or more households are mandatory licensable HMOs, but additional and selective licensing schemes operated by individual councils may catch smaller HMOs.
See our HMO guide for the full picture.
What you still need to do
Standard AST obligations apply per tenant:
- Deposit protection within 30 days of receipt.
- EPC, gas safety, EICR.
- Right-to-rent checks.
- Information Sheet, How to Rent guide.
Plus HMO-specific obligations:
- HMO licence if applicable (mandatory for 5+ tenants).
- Fire safety assessment for shared properties.
- Inventory and condition schedule for the room AND shared areas.