Rental Agreements: England vs Wales vs Scotland
There is no single residential rental-agreement regime covering Great Britain. England, Wales and Scotland use materially different legal frameworks, so the property location should be established before a document is prepared.
England
From 1 May 2026, most qualifying private-sector assured tenancies are assured periodic tenancies. New ASTs cannot be created and assured tenancies run on a rolling basis.
Wales
Under Renting Homes Wales, tenants and licensees are generally known as contract-holders and use occupation contracts. Private landlords mainly use standard occupation contracts, and the landlord must provide a written statement of the contract.
Scotland
Almost all new qualifying private tenancies since 1 December 2017 are private residential tenancies. They are open-ended, and landlords must provide the written tenancy terms. The Scottish Government publishes a model agreement.
Why this matters
A clause appropriate in one jurisdiction may be wrong or ineffective in another. Use the builder as a starting point only and check the current rules for the property location before relying on the document.
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Open Rental Agreement Builder →Official guidance: GOV.UK England guidance · Welsh Government occupation-contract guidance · Scottish Government private tenancy guidance. This is general information, not legal advice. Housing law and tenancy type depend on the facts and jurisdiction.