Add joint tenants
Create a separate record for each tenant and connect all joint tenants to the same property and tenancy.
Joint tenants share the same tenancy, but each person must have an individual tenant record. This keeps personal details, documents, checks, communication and portal access separate while linking everyone to the same tenancy.
How joint tenant records work
The property has one tenancy record. Each individual tenant is then connected to that tenancy.
Avoid records such as “John and Jane Smith.” Each person needs their own name, email address, checks, documents and portal access.
Before you add joint tenants
Create the property
Confirm the correct property exists and is available for the tenancy.
Collect individual details
Have a separate name, email address, telephone number and identification information for each person.
Confirm tenancy terms
Have the agreed dates, rent, deposit and joint tenancy information available.
Use separate emails
Each tenant should use their own email address for communication and portal access.
Create a record for each tenant
Open Tenants
Select Tenants from the main Estavo navigation.
Search for the first person
Confirm that the tenant does not already have an existing record.
Create and save the tenant
Enter the tenant’s individual details and save the record.
Repeat for every joint tenant
Create a separate record for each additional person who will be included in the tenancy.
Where a person already has a record from a previous or current tenancy, connect that existing record rather than creating another one.
Add the joint tenants to the tenancy
Create or open the tenancy
Open the tenancy for the relevant property.
Select Add Tenant
Use the tenancy’s tenant-selection area to add an existing tenant record.
Select the first tenant
Search by name or email and select the correct tenant record.
Add the remaining tenants
Repeat the process until every joint tenant is listed against the tenancy.
Review and save
Confirm the property, tenancy and tenant list before saving the changes.
Select a primary tenant
Estavo may allow one person to be identified as the primary tenant or main contact. This does not remove the other tenants from the tenancy.
The primary-tenant setting identifies a main contact only. All listed joint tenants remain connected to the tenancy.
Record rent and deposit information
The rent and deposit normally belong to the tenancy as a whole rather than being duplicated against each tenant.
- Enter the total rent due for the tenancy.
- Select the payment frequency and due date.
- Record the total tenancy deposit.
- Add the relevant deposit scheme and reference.
- Record individual contributions only where the system provides a specific field and the information is useful.
- Avoid creating separate rent schedules for each joint tenant unless they genuinely have separate agreements.
Entering the full tenancy rent against each person can multiply the expected income and produce an incorrect rent schedule.
Provide separate portal access
Each joint tenant should receive their own portal invitation and use their own account.
Open the first tenant record
Confirm the tenant’s individual email address.
Send the portal invitation
Invite the tenant using the portal-access area.
Repeat for every tenant
Send a separate invitation to each joint tenant’s own email address.
Review shared documents
Confirm which tenancy documents should be available to all tenants and which personal files should remain private.
Shared login details make access harder to control and prevent activity from being connected to the correct person.
Remove a joint tenant from a tenancy
Do not simply delete the tenant record. Update the tenancy while retaining the person’s historical connection.
Open the tenancy
Review the existing tenant list and tenancy details.
Record the relevant change date
Add the date the tenant ceased to be part of the tenancy where supported.
Update the tenancy parties
Remove the tenant from the active party list or complete the existing tenancy and create a new arrangement where appropriate.
Review portal access
Disable access where the person should no longer view current tenancy information.
Retain the tenant history
Keep the tenant record and previous tenancy activity for legitimate record-keeping.
Add a replacement tenant
A change in the people occupying the property may require the current tenancy to be ended or amended and a new tenancy arrangement recorded.
- Create a tenant record for the new person.
- Review whether the existing tenancy should continue.
- Record the departing tenant’s end date where supported.
- Add the incoming tenant to the correct tenancy or create a new tenancy.
- Review rent, deposit and tenancy-document changes.
- Send a separate portal invitation to the new tenant.
- Retain the previous tenant’s history.
Common joint tenant problems
A tenant is missing from the tenancy
Confirm the tenant record has been created and saved, then edit the tenancy and add the person.
The same tenant appears twice
Check whether duplicate tenant records have been created and avoid adding information to both.
The expected rent is too high
Check whether the full tenancy rent was entered separately for each tenant.
Only one tenant received an invitation
Portal invitations must be sent separately from each tenant record.
The wrong person is primary tenant
Edit the tenancy and select the correct main contact where that setting is available.
A former tenant still has access
Review the person’s portal status separately and disable access where it is no longer appropriate.
The joint tenants are connected
The next guide covers the tenancy rent, payment frequency, deposit, deposit protection and supporting information.
Continue to rent and deposit