Open-Ended Viewing Clauses in UK Periodic Tenancies Are Not Standard

I had a prospective tenant forward me a draft tenancy agreement last month. The clause that made her stop and ask about was a viewing clause. It said the landlord or their agent could enter the property to show it to new tenants at any time during the tenancy, with reasonable notice. No requirement that the tenant had given notice first. No restriction to the final month. She asked me if that was normal here in the UK. It isn't.

A periodic tenancy is a tenancy that rolls on from month to month or week to week after any fixed term ends. There's no set end date written into the agreement, so a tenant might stay for years. A viewing clause is the part of the tenancy agreement that lets the landlord or agent come in to show the home to prospective new tenants or buyers. In standard UK tenancy templates, that clause almost always kicks in only after valid notice has been served by either side. Usually it's limited to the final month, or the last few weeks, and it still requires at least 24 hours' written notice and the tenant's agreement.

What standard templates allow

In my years managing rentals, I've never used a clause that broad. The market-standard assured shorthold tenancy templates all restrict viewings to the end of the tenancy, after notice has been served. That's because a periodic tenancy has no fixed end date, so an open clause has no natural stopping point. It would let the agent bring strangers through while the tenant still has months or years left on a periodic tenancy, with no legal trigger.

The agent had told her it was 'highly unlikely' anyone would actually come before the end. That assurance doesn't change the contract. Courts don't read what an agent said over the phone; they read the signed clause. If it says viewings are permitted throughout the tenancy, then that's the term.

Quiet enjoyment is the backstop

Quiet enjoyment is the tenant's right to live in the property without unreasonable interference from the landlord. It's implied in every UK tenancy, even if the written agreement doesn't say so. A tenant could refuse entry for a viewing that isn't reasonable, and a court would likely back them up. But relying on that right means conflict every time the agent wants access. You'd be arguing about reasonableness while a stranger stands on your doorstep. Most tenants don't want that, and I don't blame them.

What I'd ask for before paying anything

What I'd do in that position is simple. Reply in writing and ask for the viewing clause to be amended so that viewings are only permitted after the tenant has given valid notice to end the tenancy, or during the final month of a fixed term. Request that the clause say access still requires at least 24 hours' written notice and must be at a mutually agreed time. Then pay the holding deposit only after the agent confirms the change in writing.

A holding deposit is the money you pay to reserve a property before signing the tenancy. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, it's capped at one week's rent. If you pull out because the landlord won't agree to a reasonable term, you might lose that deposit. Get the wording sorted before you pay.

If the landlord or agent refuses to narrow the clause, that tells you something about how they intend to manage the tenancy. A landlord who insists on an open-ended viewing right before you've even moved in is not likely to respect your quiet enjoyment later. That refusal is a red flag. I'd walk.

For landlords reading this: don't put that clause in your tenancy. It isn't standard, and it scares off good tenants. Standard templates already cover viewings at the end of the tenancy. Use those.