"When a student signs a joint and several contract, which is standard for a house share, they often don’t realise quite what they’re taking on. A joint and several contract means that, if one housemate fails to pay their rent, the other housemates become liable for their share"
- Graham Hayward - Housing Hand
Rental services provider Housing Hand has issued a warning to students, parents, and others who sign joint and several tenancy contracts, highlighting a widespread lack of understanding around legal and financial liability in shared properties.
Research from Housing Hand, surveyed earlier this year and reported in Understanding Renters in 2025, shows that only 33% of private renters living in shared houses know what will happen if a housemate fails to pay rent. Meanwhile, 44% understand what occurs if housemates want to leave at different times, 22% are unsure whether their tenancy agreement is joint or individual, and almost a third (31%) do not know the difference between the two types of agreements.
The findings come as UK government data indicates that 4% to 7% of full-time undergraduate students drop out of university during their first year, potentially creating financial and logistical challenges for both universities and student renters.
Housing Hand is targeting awareness efforts at students moving into shared houses this academic year, as well as parents and guardians acting as guarantors, to ensure they understand the full scope of liability under joint and several contracts.
Graham Hayward, managing director at Housing Hand, explains, “When a student signs a joint and several contract, which is standard for a house share, they often don’t realise quite what they’re taking on. A joint and several contract means that, if one housemate fails to pay their rent, the other housemates become liable for their share. A student on a 12-month contract paying £500 per month for a room in a house of three could face a total liability of £18,000. Few students realise that when they sign on the dotted line.
“The situation for personal guarantors – usually a parent, relative, guardian or friend of the renter – is even worse. While they may stand ready to cover any rent that the tenant can’t pay, they can accidentally find themselves also guaranteeing to cover the rent of complete strangers – all due to a joint and several clause in the tenancy.”
To help address these risks, Housing Hand offers its Only My Share service, which has been in operation for over eight years. The service acts as the guarantor for students with joint and several contracts, covering any bills arising from a housemate’s failure to pay rent.
Hayward continues, “Only My Share springs into action when a housemate fails to pay. We step in and deal with the landlord, making the entire process smooth and easy, with minimal hassle for the student – or the parent, guardian or other individual acting as their guarantor – using our service. The student can focus on their studies and on enjoying their university experience, rather than the stress of being liable for somebody else’s rent and the time it takes to sort such matters out.
“Our legally trained experts find the party that hasn’t paid and chase them for the rent. If we can’t get them to pay, then we will settle the bill with the landlord and look to recover from the non-payer. It’s that simple. Only My Share empowers students to rent with confidence and gives peace of mind to those signing as their guarantor.”
