Check your tenancy agreement to see if your tenancy is:

• fixed term, for example, 12 months

• rolling or periodic

Moving out during the fixed term

You could leave a fixed term tenancy early if:

• there is a break clause in your tenancy agreement

• your landlord agrees you can leave early

• you can unwind the contract if you signed it because your landlord or letting agent told you something that was not true

Make sure you end your tenancy in of those ways.

Do not just leave. You might still have to pay rent, because your tenancy keeps going if you do not end it properly.

All joint tenants must agree they want to end the tenancy.

Find a replacement tenant

See if you can find a new tenant to replace you.

This is a good option if you want to leave early but other tenants want to stay.

Your landlord and all joint tenants need to agree to the new tenant.

Make sure everyone signs a new agreement with the landlord without your name on it.

The new tenant should pay their share of the tenancy deposit to the landlord, not to you.

If you all leave when the fixed term ends

The tenancy usually ends for everyone if you all leave by the last day of the fixed term.

Some contracts say you must give your landlord notice. Check your agreement a few months before you plan to leave.

If anyone stays on

Your joint tenancy keeps going as a rolling or periodic tenancy if at least one of you stays after the fixed term ends.

This means that everyone is still responsible for rent, even people who have left.

What you can do

There are 2 ways that you can end your joint tenancy and your responsibility for rent if you move out and other joint tenants stay.

Option 1

Ask the remaining tenants to sign a new tenancy agreement with the landlord without your name on it.

This is usually the best option for everyone.

Option 2

Give a 'notice to quit' to your landlord.

This ends your joint periodic tenancy and responsibility for rent.

You do not need permission from the other tenants or the landlord to do this.

But you should to tell the other joint tenants because their tenancy also ends. They could have nowhere to live.

They can start a new tenancy if the landlord accepts rent from them or they sign a new agreement.