Joint tenancy
What it really means
One contract signed by all housemates together. Important: you are usually all responsible for the whole rent — if one person leaves or stops paying, the others must cover it. Ask about this before signing with people you barely know.
Context, tips & common mistakes
The phrase to understand is 'joint and several liability': the landlord can pursue any one named tenant for the full rent, not just an equal share, and disagreements between housemates about who owes what are legally your problem to sort out, not the landlord's. If someone wants to leave mid-term, they usually need the landlord's agreement to be replaced on the contract — simply moving out does not end their liability, and in practice the leaver often has to find their own replacement. Guarantors on a joint tenancy may also be guaranteeing everyone, so mention this to whoever signs for you. Before committing with people you met recently, agree in writing how bills, the deposit split and an early leaver would be handled; a short house agreement between yourselves has no effect on the landlord but prevents most flatmate disputes. One joint tenant giving notice can, on a rolling tenancy, end the tenancy for everyone — take advice before anyone acts alone.