What happens if you do not end your tenancy legally
If you do not end your tenancy properly, you could be responsible for rent and damage even if you move out.
That’s why it is important to take the right steps to end your tenancy and give the correct notice.
Find out how to:
Your tenancy usually also ends if your landlord moves a new tenant in to replace you.
What can happen if you just leave
Renting another place can be hard if you just walk away from a tenancy.
References
Your landlord or agent might not give you a good reference if you leave the contract early and they do not agree you can go.
This could make it harder to find somewhere else to rent.
What happens to your deposit
Your landlord might keep your tenancy deposit if you do not end your tenancy properly.
They can keep your deposit money to cover things like:
unpaid rent
cleaning or damage
the costs of finding new tenants if you left early
Your deposit should be protected with a scheme if you had an assured shorthold tenancy.
Use the scheme's free dispute resolution service if you think your landlord should give your money back.
If your deposit is not protected, you could look at claiming compensation.
Court action by your landlord
Your landlord could take court action to get money from you.
This could be for unpaid rent or damage to the property.
They have up to 6 years to make a claim.
It's usually best to settle things before they get to court.
They need your name and address. They could find you even if you do not give a forwarding address.
When a court orders you to pay a debt, it is called a county court judgement (CCJ).
A CCJ could affect your credit rating.
Having a CCJ could make it harder to find somewhere else to rent.
Most letting agents and some landlords carry out credit checks on new tenants
Find out more about CCJs from the Step Change Debt Charity
If your landlord finds a new tenant
Your tenancy ends straight away if your landlord lets the property to someone else.
Your contract ends when the new tenancy starts. You do not have to pay the rent any more.
If you live in a shared house and have a separate tenancy agreement for a room, your tenancy ends if the landlord lets 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
Last updated: 8 July 2024
