Research by Direct Line reveals one in ten private landlords have no formal tenancy agreement in place with their tenants.  Of those who do have agreements in place, tenants may be signing documents that are not legally compliant.  Landlords often use agreements from old agent contracts or other landlords or templates they have found online.  The lack of a professional up to date contract goes some way to explaining why a significant number of these landlords have experienced disputes with their tenants.   Nick Breton, Head of Direct Line says “If an old contract is adapted it may not comply with new legislation or be relevant for the current market. Given the volume of disputes arising from tenancy agreements it is important to get the contract seen by a legal professional before it’s signed.”