Ending tenancy before the end of a fixed term let?

eternallyconfused

Evening all, apologies for my first post being a request (and a long one).

I'm currently renting and at the end of January had to move home and sign a new six month contract because my previous landlord needed to move back into his house. No drama there, just the way life works sometimes.

Now, you can probably guess where this is going, but i've been informed this week that my job is being relocated across the country in May and I can either take myself there and keep my job or I can stay where I am and try to find a new job.

Now, i'm naturally reticent to leave my job in the current climate, but i'm also not in a position to pay two sets of rent if I move before the end of my fixed term.

If I leave my job and don't find another job at the same salary in the next two months, i'll also be unable to pay my rent and may just get kicked out instead.

Given this, i'd like to talk to my landlady about my situation and offer to pay some kind of compensation for only fulfilling 4 months out of my 6 month fixed term. I think this would be the best way forward as it has to be better than me staying there and potentially being unable to pay my rent.

Before I speak to her, can anyone offer any advice as to how to approach this? What is a reasonable compromise? Should I inform her in writing? Do landlords have a set way of dealing with this sort of thing? I'll do whatever is neccesary to help her get a new tenant and I'd even consider surrendering my whole deposit...is that too much?


Some tenants do seem to get a bit of stick for posting about this sort of thing so here's a disclaimer:

I know that i've signed up for six months and can be legally held to this. I'm not trying to skip out on my commitments nor will I intentionally do anything dishonest to get my own way. It's just that life has thrown me a bit of a curve ball and I don't really know what to do about it.

Thanks!

BitterAndTwisted

You'll need to be very persuasive if the LL is going to release you from your mutually-binding contract. They are under no obligation to release you whatsoever. Be prepared to pay the rent until a new tenant is found and to pay for the landlord's advertising expenses in order to find them as a minimum

aylithuk

I have the same thing happen with my job and I found out 1 week after i signed a 12 month contract.

LL/LA said they wont let me out of the contract without forfitting my deposit and paying for reletting the flat and i'd still have to pay rent until someone was found.

Needless to say it was far to much money.

given it only 2 months could you commute at all for these 2 months and maybe even ask your employers if they pay towards travel costs until you can move?

I managed to get 10 p/d towards may cost - maybe an idea if the LL says no

eternallyconfused

Thanks aylithuk, I'm sorry to hear this happened to you too; I should probably count myself very lucky after hearing your story. I hope it worked out ok?

Unfortunately I'm being relocated about 150 miles away, so commuting isn't an option.

I think my biggest worry about even mentioning this is if my landlord then decides to make my life a misery, even if I pay all six months rent.

I think i'm just going to have to man up , have the conversation, be as apologetic as I can and take whatever is coming my way... life really is a complete pita sometimes!

MrsAmanda_2

Well, I think you've got nothing to lose by broaching the LL nicely.

Yonks ago, my fiance and I moved into a rented flat with a 6-mth lease. 2 months in, fiance decided he'd changed his mind and b*ggerd off. I couldn't afford the rent on my own so had to call LL to explain situation. Bless him, not sure if it was my sobbing down the phone that made him take pity, but he accepted a month's notice for me to move out.

I'm now a landlord and if my tenants need to move out for whatever reason, I'm willing to compromise over the lease.

There are some decent LLs out there.

Hump

I realise I generally reside in cloud cuckoo land however - Is your employer offering a relocation assistance package?