Lost Job, want to transfer a newish tenancy agreement

Doublespresso

A friend of mine recently took up rented accommodation and signed up for 1 year with a 6 month break clause.

Barely 1 month into the agreement he lost his job and may have to relocate in order to get another job.

What can he do about the rental agreement? What do Landlords do in such situations?

He told me that he can find new tenants for the property (friends), can he transfer the contract over? (I guess sub-letting will not be permitted)
Are Landlords sympatehtic? What can they do to him?

Any advice form tenants/landlords who had similar experiences would be appreciated.

tbs624

Your friend is obliged to meet the terms of his/her contract until at least the break clause ( and should check the timing carefully to be able to invoke it successfully ) unless the LL agrees to an early release if a new T who is acceptable to him/her can be found. Your friend would have to pay the LL's reasonable costs incurred (ie advertising/any legal fees etc/new tenancy deposit fees etc ) & would continue to be liable for the rent/bills until the new T moves in.

S/he should register as unemployed & make an application for LHA ( Local Housing Allowance) asap. It may not cover the full rent - see here for how it is worked out.

The best thing to do is talk direct to the LL & explain what has happened, then take things from there. Your friend should bear in mind that it will be harder to get a new tenancy with no job and no LL reference, so negotiation is the way forward.