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England

How to end a periodic tenancy

The law is changing

The Renters' Rights Act will change how much notice you have to give.

Changes for private tenants start from 1 May 2026.

For now, your rights stay the same.

What is a periodic tenancy?

A periodic tenancy is the legal name for a rolling tenancy with no fixed end date.

You have this type of tenancy if:

  • your fixed term assured shorthold (AST) has ended

  • you did not agree to or sign another fixed term tenancy

You will also have this type of tenancy if your agreement did not have an end date.

Fixed term tenancies are ended differently.

Find out how to end a fixed term tenancy early.

Options for ending your tenancy

You can end your private tenancy by either:

You need to end your tenancy one of those 2 ways.

Otherwise, you might still be responsible for rent after you leave.

What to do

Speak to your landlord or agent first.

You can agree on your last day in writing when you are ready to move. Some landlords are more flexible about leaving dates than others.

If your landlord will not agree when you can leave

You need to give a notice to quit if you cannot agree about the day you can leave.

Joint tenancies

You can only end a joint tenancy by agreement with your landlord if all joint tenants also agree to end the tenancy.

But you do not need their agreement to give your landlord a notice to quit.

Keep paying your rent

You need to keep paying your rent until your tenancy ends.

Last updated: 11 March 2026

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