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Extending Your Tenancy 

Should you wish to extend your tenancy after any initial fixed period, there are a number of important issues to consider.

  • Do you want to sign up to a new fixed term? There will likely be costs for this, check with your Landlord or Agent.
  • It is sometimes possible to be on a ‘rolling periodic tenancy’. This means you carry on as before but with no fixed term – you can leave at any time by giving one month’s notice. Or your landlord can end the contract at two months’ notice.
  • Your landlord might want to increase your rent. Your landlord can increase your rent by agreement, or as set out in your tenancy agreement, or by following a procedure set out in law.

Ending Your Tenancy

If you or the landlord want to end the tenancy there are things that both landlords and tenants must do at the end of the tenancy:

Giving Notice

It is a legal requirement for landlords to give you proper notice if they want you to leave. Normally, the landlord must allow any fixed period of the tenancy to have expired, and they must have given at least two months’ notice. Your tenancy agreement should say how much notice you must give the landlord if you want to leave the property – one month’s notice is typical.

Return of deposit

Try to be present when the property is inspected to check whether any of the tenancy deposit should be deducted to cover damage or cleaning costs (a ‘check-out inventory’).

If you do not agree with proposed deductions contact the relevant deposit protection scheme.

Outstanding Rent

Make sure that your rent payments are up to date. Do not keep back rent because you think that it will be taken out of the deposit.

Outstanding Bills

Do not leave bills unpaid. This might have an impact on your references and credit rating.

Clean Up

Remove all your possessions, clean the house, take meter readings, return all the keys and give a forwarding address.

The landlord is entitled to dispose of possessions left in the property after, typically, 14 days.