Legal Validity of Electronic Signatures on UK Tenancies
Under Section 54(2) of the Law of Property Act 1925, tenancy agreements granted for a term not exceeding three years do not require execution as a formal deed and can be created or executed electronically with Simple Electronic Signatures.
For decades, letting agents forced tenants to visit branch offices during working hours to sign paper leases. This created friction, delayed move-in dates, and caused lost holding deposits.
Electronic execution of ASTs is well-established in UK case law. Provided the tenant shows intention to authenticate the agreement, the signature is fully enforceable under the Electronic Communications Act 2000.
ChickenSign allows landlords to upload any AST agreement, place signature fields for multiple tenants and guarantors, and dispatch links over WhatsApp or email.
If a lease term exceeds 3 years, or if an institutional guarantor requirement demands execution as a formal deed with physical witness attestation, wet-ink or qualified witness execution is required.