Surprisingly, you’re not legally required to provide tenants with a written tenancy agreement. However, it’s wise to use a written Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) Agreement as it sets out the rights and responsibilities of both parties. While it is possible to have a verbal tenancy agreement, this is a bad idea as misunderstandings can easily arise and you wouldn’t have much legal recourse if a dispute emerged. It’s also worth noting that a written tenancy agreement is often a requirement of a landlord insurance policy, without it you risk invalidating your insurance and your insurer may decline a claim.
There are many template tenancy agreements available online, including a model agreement for tenancies in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, plus model written statements for Wales. Both landlord and tenant should sign the tenancy agreement and both parties should retain copies.