Short Agreements

Your tied tenancy will be classed as a short agreement under the Code if it is either: 

1. A tenancy at will; or 

2. An agreement entitling you to occupy the pub for no more than 12 months. 

You must consider your short agreement with any other short agreements between you and the pub-owning business (POB) for that pub because you will have full Code rights if together, they entitle you to occupy the tied pub for more than 12 months.

If you and the POB enter into a short agreement, you have the right to receive certain information from your POB before entering into the agreement. 

Before entering into a short agreement, the POB must: 

Provide you with information about: 

•  the rent payable and arrangements for paying utility bills 
• maintenance and repair obligations 
• any Initial Works which your POB is aware must be carried out, including information on who is responsible to complete the works and by when and a Schedule of Condition prepared before those Initial Works are carried out 
• responsibility for utility and safety certificates 
• obligations in relation to the purchase tied products and services, the payment of deposits and the transfer of employment rights 
• liability for fees, charges and penalties.

Advise you to complete pubs entry training - unless any of the following apply: 

• the POB has previously granted you a tied agreement (that is not a short agreement) 
• you have at least one other pub under a tied agreement (that is not a short agreement) 
• you can show three years’ relevant business management experience.

All other Code rights will not apply to you, such as the right to request a Market Rent Only option, Rent Proposal or Rent Assessment Proposal. 

Although most Code rights do not apply to those on short agreements, all regulated POBs have agreed to minimum standards in dealing with tenants who have, or are considering taking on, a short agreement.  

Information about these and other rights applying to Tied Pub Tenants (TPTs), including those who do not have a short agreement, can be found on the Pubs Code Adjudicator website. 

For further information on Initial Works, refer to our Repairs and Dilapidations Factsheet.

You will have full Code rights at the point you enter an agreement that entitles you to occupy the tied pub for more than 12 months. 

When calculating the 12-month period, you add together all tied short agreements you have had between you and the POB for that pub. 

For example, if you had a tied agreement with a POB to occupy a pub for six months and then you entered another agreement to occupy the pub for ten months, when entering into the second agreement you would be entitled to full Code rights. These agreements do not need to be back-to-back, there could be a gap between them. 

Once you have been on a tenancy at will for more than 12 months, you will have full Code rights. 

If you have any queries or concerns about the status of your pub agreement or your Code rights, you may contact your POB’s Code Compliance Officer (CCO). 

To find out more about the role of the CCO and for their contact details, please see our helpful factsheet. 

If you have a dispute with your POB about whether it has complied with its duties under the Code, you may be able to refer the dispute to the PCA for arbitration. Find out how to make an arbitration referral.

For more information about: 

• Making a referral to the PCA and what may be referred see our factsheet on Pubs Code disputes. 
• Getting help and support with the Pubs Code and arbitration, see our helpful factsheet.

For general queries about the information in this factsheet, you may contact our enquiry service. 

Please note, we can provide information about your rights, the Code and our processes. We cannot advise you about your case. 

Complete our online enquiry form 

Email: [email protected] 

Call 0800 528 8080 to request a call back

This factsheet provides information to support tenant understanding. It is not a substitute for the Pubs Code framework. Our website contains other useful information about accessing your Pubs Code rights and the PCA’s role as regulator in enforcing those rights. 

You may find it helpful to take independent professional advice before making any decisions that may affect you and your business.

Last updated: March 2026