How to end your tenancy
If you do not end your tenancy correctly
Always take the right steps to end your tenancy by either:
giving your landlord a notice to quit
agreeing a tenancy end date with your landlord
If you do not end your tenancy properly, you could be responsible for rent and damage to the property until a new tenant moves in.
If your landlord finds a new tenant
Your tenancy ends straight away if a new tenant moves in.
You do not have to pay the rent anymore.
If you rent a room in a shared house, your tenancy ends when the landlord rents the room to someone else.
Your landlord might look for a new tenant if you:
return the keys to them
take your belongings out of the property
tell them you have left and cannot afford to keep paying the rent
But you might be responsible for rent and damage until your landlord finds a new tenant.
You might not get a reference
Your landlord or agent might not give you a good reference if you do not end your tenancy properly.
It might be hard to find somewhere else to rent without a reference.
You might lose your deposit
Your landlord can keep your tenancy deposit to cover things like:
unpaid rent
cleaning or damage
the costs of finding new tenants if you leave early
Your landlord might take you to court
Your landlord could go to court to get money from you for not paying rent.
They need your name and address. They could find you even if you do not give a forwarding address. They have up to 6 years to make a claim.
The court can order you to pay the debt. This is called a county court judgement (CCJ).
A CCJ could affect your credit score and make it harder to rent.
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Last updated: 1 May 2026
