---
title: How do I know if my contract is Joint and Severally Liable?
description: How do I know if my contract is Joint and Severally Liable?
---

[Help & Advice | Renting Guides & Guarantor FAQs | Housing Hand ](https://housinghand.com/help-and-advice)

# [How do I know if my contract is Joint and Severally Liable?](https://housinghand.com/help-and-advice/how-do-i-know-if-my-contract-is-joint-and-severally-liable)

 Written by [admin](https://housinghand.com/help-and-advice/author/admin) | Mar 18, 2025 1:54:04 PM

Your liability for your housemates' rent depends on whether you have a joint tenancy or a single tenancy agreement. 

- Joint Tenancy: If you and your housemates all sign the same tenancy contract, you are 'jointly and severally liable.' This means you are not only responsible for your own rent but also the full rent of the property if any housemate defaults. 
- Single Tenancy: If you have your own individual contract, you are only liable for your rent and not for your housemates' payments. 

If you have a guarantor under a joint tenancy agreement, their liability also falls under joint and several liability, meaning they could be held responsible for the entire rent of the household if another tenant fails to pay. 

 

To protect yourself from this risk, [Only My Share](https://housinghand.co.uk/only-my-share/) can ensure you are only responsible for your share of the rent. 

[View full post](https://housinghand.com/help-and-advice/how-do-i-know-if-my-contract-is-joint-and-severally-liable)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "admin"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2026-03-30T16:26:08.462Z",
  "datePublished" : "2025-03-18T13:54:04Z",
  "headline" : "How do I know if my contract is Joint and Severally Liable?",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 60,
    "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png",
    "width" : 60
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://housinghand.com/help-and-advice/how-do-i-know-if-my-contract-is-joint-and-severally-liable",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60,
      "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png",
      "width" : 60
    },
    "name" : "Help and Advice for Renters Across the UK"
  }
}
```