letter of notice to vacate

sianb84

I am trying to write a letter to my letting agent stating my intention to leave the property I am renting and wondered if this was all i have to put:

my name
address
date

letting agent name
address


Dear name of letting agent,

I hereby give 2 months written notice that I will be vacating (property address) on or before 31st October 2010.

Yours sincerely

my name

Jowo_2

Do you have a fixed term tenancy or are you a periodic tenant (meaning that the original fixed term expired so it automatically became a periodic tenant? Is this 2 months notice stipulated in the contract? If you have a fixed term tenancy, when does it end?

In England/Wales, fixed term tenancies do not require any notice to end them and periodic tenancies only require the tenant to serve 1 months notice, timed to expire with the rental period.

Why are you serving such a long notice?

sianb84

my tenacy agreement states we have to give two months notice. It was a 6 month contract that then just carried on (i intend to leave 12 months after the contract began)

Jowo_2

The Shelter website stipulates how a periodic tenancy can be ended and provide examples to help guide a tenant in how to 'time' it. Generally, in England/Wales, if a periodic tenant pays monthly, then the notice that they serve is 1 month but its expiry must coincide with the rental period.

It's the landlord that is required to serve 2 months notice to the tenant on a periodic tneancy.

Are you happy with the end of October date, does it suit your plans? Otherwise I recommend that you review your legal obligations and dispute this, because that clause is one that agents/landlords routinely include in their contracts which don't have any basis in housing law and can't be enforced.

missile

Legally you may not have to give two months notice, but I am sure the LL will appreciate the heads up. That letter should suffice, ask LA to confirm that they received your letter and accept your notice.

sianb84

End of october is fine with me and is the date I have been working with since deciding to leave - also it just gives my current housemate that little bit longer to find a new housemate.

Thanks for your help.

I will be handing it in in person tomorrow and asking for a receipt.

tbs624

Just wondered whether Sianb84 is renting a property in Scotland?

Sianb84 - you may also want to suggest a pre-check out meeting with the LA/LL to discuss anything which may raise issues for getting your deposit back?