MAKE YOUR FREE Rent Deposit Deed
What we'll cover
What is a Rent Deposit Deed?
Rent Deposit Deeds is a legal document that set out how landlords secure commercial tenants’ deposits. Rent Deposit Deeds supplement Commercial leases. Use this Rent Deposit Deed to protect your commercial property and to ensure payment if your tenant defaults on their rent or breaches their obligations under their lease.
For use in England and Wales only.
When should I use a Rent Deposit Deed?
Use this Rent Deposit Deed:
- if you are granting a commercial lease or sublease
- the property is used for business purposes
- you want to take extra security from the tenant for the length of the lease
- the property is in England or Wales
Sample Rent Deposit Deed
The terms in your document will update based on the information you provide
RENT DEPOSIT DEED
DATE
BETWEEN
-
(the Landlord) -
(the Tenant)
- In this deed, the following definitions are used
Bank Account an interest earning UK deposit account in the name of the Landlord Default any failure by the Tenant to pay the whole or any part of the rents due under the Lease; or
any failure by the Tenant to observe and perform the Tenant's covenants and obligations and the conditions contained in the Lease; or
any loss or expense incurred by the Landlord arising from the ending of the Lease before the end of the Term by forfeiture, the disclaimer of any liquidator or trustee in bankruptcy of the estate of the Tenant, or otherwise than by agreement;
whether or not any formal demand has been made;Lease the sublease made between the Landlord and the Tenant dated Property the property known as , demised by the Lease Rent Deposit the sum of £ Term the term of years granted by the Lease - In this deed, unless the context requires a different interpretation:
- Words importing one gender include all other genders and words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa.
- If two or more persons are together the Tenant, their obligations to the Landlord shall be joint and several.
- Any obligation on the Tenant to do or not to do something includes an obligation on the Tenant to use their reasonable endeavours to ensure that no other person does or fails to do that same thing.
- A reference to a person includes firms, companies, government entities, trusts and partnerships.
- The headings and sub-headings do not form part of this deed.
Rent Deposit
- The Landlord acknowledges the payment of the Rent Deposit and undertakes to place the Rent Deposit in the Bank Account.
- The Landlord agrees to act in connection with the Rent Deposit in accordance with the terms of this deed.
- The Landlord agrees that the monies comprised in the Bank Account shall at all times be and remain the property of the Tenant but subject to the terms of this deed as security for any Default.
Tenant Responsibilities
- The Tenant:
- authorises the Landlord to act in connection with the Rent Deposit in accordance with the terms of this deed;
- acknowledges that the Landlord's right of re-entry contained in the Lease is to be exercisable on breach of any covenant or obligation contained in this deed as well as covenants in the Lease;
- irrevocably and by way of security appoints the Landlord and any person nominated in writing by the Landlord as the Tenant's attorney in its name and on its behalf and as its act and deed to do execute sign seal deliver or otherwise perfect any deed assurance agreement instrument demand notice receipt or thing which may be required by the Landlord for the purpose of perfecting or enforcing this security;
- with full title guarantee, charges by way of fixed charge its right, title and interest, present and future, in the Bank Account and all money from time to time deposited in or standing to the credit of the Bank Account in accordance with this deed, as continuing security for all sums payable to the Landlord in the event of any Default.
Landlord Responsibilities
- The Landlord:
- shall place the Rent Deposit in the Bank Account;
- agrees to act in connection with the Rent Deposit in accordance with the terms of this deed;
- agrees to pay on demand (but not more than once in every six months) to the Tenant all interest earned on the Rent Deposit (subject to deduction of such tax as may be required by law). No such payment will be made if there is any Default, or if the payment would reduce the balance in the Bank Account to be less than the Rent Deposit.
Withdrawals and Maintenance of the Bank Account
- The Landlord may at any time draw on the Bank Account to pay to the Landlord an amount equal to the sum due to the Landlord arising out of Default and the Landlord will within 14 days of making any withdrawal notify the Tenant in writing of the amount and date of such withdrawal.
- If the Landlord withdraws monies from the Bank Account in accordance with clause 8 then the Tenant covenants that it will pay to the Landlord without any deduction or set-off whatsoever within 14 days of the Landlord notifying the Tenant of the withdrawal, the sum necessary to increase the balance of the Bank Account to the Rent Deposit and when received the Landlord will pay the monies into the Bank Account.
- If at any time the balance in the Bank Account is less than the Rent Deposit, then the Tenant covenants that it will within 14 days pay to the Landlord the difference and when received the Landlord will pay the money into the Bank Account.
- The interest accruing on the Rent Deposit is to be left in the Bank Account and is to form part of the Bank Account.
Return of the Rent Deposit
- The Bank Account must be kept open until the earlier of the following:
- the date on which all of the following circumstances have occurred:
- 3 months after the end of the Term;
- the Landlord has been given vacant possession of the Property; and
- the Landlord has confirmed in writing (such confirmation not to be unreasonably withheld), that the Landlord has no claim for breach of any of the terms of the Lease.
- the date when the Tenant assigns the Lease with the consent of the Landlord in accordance with the terms of the Lease.
- the date on which all of the following circumstances have occurred:
- When the Bank Account is closed the Rent Deposit will be used to satisfy any claims of the Landlord against the Tenant arising out of any Default and any balance with any accrued interest shall be paid to the Tenant.
General
- This charge shall be in addition and without prejudice to any and every other remedy guarantee lien or security which the Landlord may have for the recovery of the sums due.
- The provisions of the Lease as to service of notices shall apply to this deed.
- Each provision contained in this deed shall be construed as a separate provision and if part or the entirety of any provision contained in this deed is held by any court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal invalid or unenforceable such illegality invalidity or unenforceability shall have no effect upon and shall not impair the legality validity or enforceability of the remaining part of such provision or any other provision contained in this deed
- If the Landlord sells the Property the Rent Deposit shall be paid to its successor to place in a new Bank Deposit Account in accordance with the terms of this deed.
- A person who is not a party to this deed has no rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 in relation to it.
- This deed shall be governed by and construed in all respects in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.
This document has been executed as a deed and takes effect on the date at the beginning of it.
About Rent Deposit Deeds
Learn more about making your Rent Deposit Deed
-
How to make a Rent Deposit Deed
Making a Rent Deposit Deed online is simple. Just answer a few questions and Rocket Lawyer will build your document for you. When you have all of the details prepared in advance, making your document is a quick and easy process.
To make your Rent Deposit Deed you will need the following information:
Party details
-
What are the landlord’s details (ie legal structure, name and address)?
-
If the landlord is a partnership, will one partner sign in the presence of a witness or will all partners (up to a maximum of 4) sign in the presence of witnesses? What are the details of the partner(s)?
-
If the landlord is an LLP, will one partner sign in the presence of a witness or will two partners sign in the presence of witnesses? What are the details of the partner(s)?
-
If the landlord is a company, will one director sign in the presence of a witness or will two directors sign? What are the details of the director(s)?
-
-
What are the tenant’s details (ie legal structure, name and address)?
-
If the tenant is a partnership, will one partner sign in the presence of a witness or will all partners (up to a maximum of 4) sign in the presence of witnesses? What are the details of the partner(s)?
-
If the tenant is an LLP, will one partner sign in the presence of a witness or will two partners sign in the presence of witnesses? What are the details of the partner(s)?
-
If the tenant is a company, will one director sign in the presence of a witness or will two directors sign? What are the details of the director(s)?
-
Commercial let
-
What is the address of the commercial property?
-
Is the rent deposit taken in relation to a lease or a sublease?
-
What is the deposit amount?
-
-
Common terms in a Rent Deposit Deed
Use a Rent Deposit Deed to secure a commercial tenant's deposit. To allow you to do this, the Rent Deposit Deed template covers the following:
Between
The start of the Rent Deposit Deed sets out the parties to the Rent Deposit Deed. These are the commercial landlord and the commercial tenant who entered into a commercial lease.
Meanings
The section provides definitions for certain key terms that are used throughout the Licence, such as ’Bank Account’, ‘Lease’ and ‘Property’. By explaining the meaning of these key terms, everyone understands exactly what they mean for the purposes of the Rent Deposit Deed.
Rent deposit
This section sets out details of the rent deposit and how the landlord will handle the deposit.
Tenant responsibilities
The section details the responsibilities of the commercial tenant in relation to the rent deposit. For example, the tenant's authorising the landlord to act in connection with the rent deposit in accordance with the terms of the Rent Deposit Deed.
Landlord responsibilities
The section details the responsibilities of the commercial landlord in relation to the rent deposit. For example, the landlord placing the rent deposit in an interest-earning UK deposit account in the landlord’s name.
Withdrawals and maintenance of the bank account
The section sets out when the landlord can make withdrawals from the rent deposit. It also explains what happens to the interest that accrues on the rent deposit in the bank account.
Return of the rent deposit
The section details when and under what conditions the landlord must return the rent deposit.
General
This section covers various general provisions that apply to the Rent Deposit Deed. These include:
-
jurisdiction matters (ie that the Rent Deposit Deed is governed by the laws of England and Wales, and any disputes must be dealt with by the English and Welsh courts)
-
stating that the provisions of the commercial lease about the service of notices also apply to this Rent Deposit Deed
If you want your Rent Deposit Deed to include further or more detailed provisions, you can edit your document. However, if you do this, you may want a lawyer to review or change the Rent Deposit Deed for you, to make sure it complies with all relevant laws and meets your specific needs. Ask a lawyer for assistance.
-
-
Legal tips for making a Rent Deposit Deed
Consider the deposit amount
Unlike with residential properties, there are no set levels for how high a deposit can be. When requesting a deposit from your commercial tenant, you should consider the market conditions and how long it would take to find a replacement tenant. Generally, the deposit should be a multiple of the monthly rent for the property under the commercial lease. In practice, this will usually be between 3 and 6 months’ rent.
Remember to place the deposit in a separate bank account
Under this Rent Deposit Deed, you should place the rent deposit in an interest-earning UK deposit account that is in the name of the landlord. Even while kept by the landlord, the deposit is still the commercial tenant’s property. By placing the deposit in a separate bank account you take steps to protect the deposit and ensure that it is only used to cover deductions in line with this Rent Deposit Deed.
Understand when to seek advice from a lawyer
Ask a lawyer for advice:
-
if this document doesn’t meet your specific needs
-
for a rent deposit for a residential letting
-
if the commercial property is in Scotland
-
Rent Deposit Deed FAQs
-
What is included in a Rent Deposit Deed?
This Rent Deposit Deed template covers:
-
the tenant's obligation to pay the deposit
-
the landlord's right to withdraw from the deposit
-
the tenant's obligation to top up the deposit if a withdrawal is made
-
how and when the deposit is to be returned to the tenant
-
-
Why do I need a Rent Deposit Deed?
A Rent Deposit Deed provides peace of mind to a commercial landlord, particularly if they are dealing with a new tenant who cannot prove that they have a robust trading record (eg a startup business). It gives them a guarantee of easily accessible funds to mitigate any losses should their tenant break any of the rules (ie covenants) of the lease or default on rental payments.
Having a Rent Deposit Deed in place is equally important for tenants. This is because it sets out the specific circumstances and rules under which a landlord is allowed to claim a portion of the rent deposit.
-
What is a rent deposit?
A rent deposit is a sum of money provided as security by a tenant to their landlord in respect of a commercial property rental. It works in a similar way to rental deposits for residential lettings, but the money is normally held by the landlord and is not administered by a Government-backed tenancy deposit scheme. Instead, the rules of the arrangement are set out in a Rent Deposit Deed.
-
How much should a landlord require as a rent deposit?
Although there are no set rules on levels of a rent deposit, the amount will generally be a multiple of the monthly rent, reflecting market conditions (ie taking into consideration the amount of time it could take to find a replacement tenant). In practice, rent deposits will normally be between 3 and 6 months' worth of rent.
The exact rent deposit amount is generally negotiated between the landlord and the commercial tenants. Factors that may be considered in setting a deposit level include:
-
the commercial tenant’s creditworthiness
-
the length of the commercial lease
-
the type of commercial property
-
-
When can the landlord make deductions from the deposit?
There are three main circumstances under which a landlord can make deductions from a rent deposit:
-
if the tenant fails to pay their rent
-
if the tenant breaks an agreed covenant of the lease (eg they damage the property or adapt it without agreement), or
-
if the tenant fails to uphold a covenant under the lease (eg they fail to pay the service charge or clean the windows)
-
-
When will the rent deposit be returned to the tenant?
The landlord must return the entire rent deposit to the tenant - together with any interest accrued - once the lease comes to an end. This is subject to any deductions which have been made as a result of breaches of the lease.
Sometimes there may also be a clause in a Rent Deposit Deed that allows a portion of the rent deposit to be returned to a tenant if they can demonstrate that their financial position or trading record has improved (eg using a profits test).
Our quality guarantee
We guarantee our service is safe and secure, and that properly signed Rocket Lawyer documents are legally enforceable under UK laws.
Need help? No problem!
Ask a question for free or get affordable legal advice from our lawyer.