How To Serve Your Notice Correctly

Whether you are in a fixed term tenancy or a periodic tenancy, giving notice in the correct way is crucial prior to ending your tenancy - if you don’t, you might risk losing your deposit or paying rent after you’ve moved out.

Here are a few tips to help you serve your notice correctly:

How much do you need to give

Your tenancy agreement should have set out a notice period. If it doesn’t include a notice period, you should give your landlord at least 1 month’s notice for a monthly tenancy; 4 week’s notice for a weekly tenancy.

Your notice should end on the first or last day of your tenancy period (you can find this information on your tenancy agreement), which isn’t necessarily the day your rent is due. If you don’t supply the correct date for when your notice period ends, your letter will be considered invalid.

Types of tenancy

Fixed Term Tenancy

If you have a fixed term tenancy, you will have to pay your rent until your fixed term ends. You may be allowed to end your tenancy early if it is stated in your tenancy agreement or if you have your landlord’s permission.

If a break clause is stated in your tenancy agreement, it is essential to read through it carefully to make sure any other conditions are expected to be met prior to ending your tenancy - such as having a clean rent history without any arrears.

Periodic Tenancy

A periodic tenancy is when your agreement doesn’t include a set tenancy end date, or when you have stayed after a fixed end date stated but did not agree to a further fixed term. It either rolls on a monthly or weekly basis, depending on your agreement.

In this case, you will need to pay your rent until the end of your notice period.

What do you need to include in your notice letter

The notice letter should include your name and address, your landlord’s name and address and the date your notice period ends.

A notice letter should be given to your landlord by post or by hand, unless the tenancy agreement states that emails or other written formats are accepted. It’s also important to keep a copy of your letter and get your proof of delivery for any potential disagreement in the future.

What to do if you have a joint tenancy

A joint tenancy means there is more than one tenant’s name stated in the agreement.

If you wish to end a joint tenancy, any one of the tenants included in the agreement can provide the notice letter to the landlord. It will be valid for every tenant in the joint tenancy. If other tenants on the joint agreement would like to stay, a new tenancy agreement can be discussed with the landlord.

What happens if you don’t provide a notice

If you don’t provide a notice letter to your landlord, your tenancy is not considered ‘ended’. You may get a court order for the rent you owe - you might also be responsible for paying the court costs. On top of these costs, there is a high risk that you will not get your deposit back.

Without giving the correct notice, your relationship with the landlord could be negatively affected, which makes it more challenging to obtain a reference from your landlord when you are on the hunt for a new home.