When to give notice to landlord

fassam

Hello all,

We've just started to buy our first place and so far everything is going well (touch wood).

I just wondered if anyone had any advice about how to manage the two months notice we need to give the landlord of our current flat to try and avoid having either a long period of crossover or no where to live for a few weeks.

All help appreciated.

thesaint

The best thing to do is to estimate your moving time and give your notice to coincide with that.

There is no fool-proof way to avoid what you are trying to avoid.

Keep the landlord up-to-date of what is happening and he should be amiable to an over-run if things don't go smoothly.
If you don't exchange on time, the only thing the landlord can do is serve notice on you and wait for the British justice system to do it's work. You would be liable for the court costs if this were to take place though.

wecanhelpu

Any decent landlord, (like me for instance), given proper notice of your departure would be able to arrange for you to stay beyond your tenancy and pay on a week-to-week or even a day-to-day basis.

Talk over your plans with them and see what they say

Gorgeous_George

In return for your LL's flexibility make sure that you leave the property ina condition that a new tenant can move straight into.



GG

tincat

Estimate when you think you should be moving, and tack on at least an extra month (I'd advise 2) in your rented place. What you might lose in overpaid rent will be worth it for your peace of mind.

All types of things can cause delays and make things drag out. A friend has just had to move out of her rented place 3 weeks before the 'new' exchange & completion date, and moved into a 'holiday let'. Now the 3 weeks are almost up and what do you know? still no fixed completion date and she can't extend the holiday let any longer, so will have to move into a B&B.

Best bit is she has 2 kids who are at school and who are really upset about the move in the first place, all their things and toys are in storage, and they have no idea when they will actually exchange and complete. Not to mention that as they haven't exchanged contracts yet, the whole thing could still fall through.

Just pay 2 months extra rent and consider the money well spent!

franklee

If it were me I'd hand in my notice once contracts have been exchanged on the purchase but (assuming you are not going for a 100% mortgage and so don't have to exchange and complete on the same day) try to get a bit of time between exchange and completion. But then I've only got to give a months notice, defaults are landlord gives two months notice but tenant gives one.

Asking the LL if he will be flexible with your notice is a good idea but best to get any agreements in writing, if LL won't then maybe confirm them in writing yourself and send to the LL so as to avoid any misunderstandings later on.

Shambler

Are you sure you have to give 2 months notice?

I have rented alot and have only ever had to give 1 months notice, with the landlord having to give 2 months if they wanted me to move out.

Amitoocautious

2 months is a lot - we had to give 1 month and we stated that we must exchange 3 weeks before completion. We then handed our notice in and jist have a week overlap to tidy the flat up

Headintheclouds_3

tincat wrote: »

Estimate when you think you should be moving, and tack on at least an extra month (I'd advise 2) in your rented place. What you might lose in overpaid rent will be worth it for your peace of mind.

I'm in the same predicament (potential overlap of 6 weeks) and after much agonising have come to this conclusion. My solicitor advised me to wait until I had the mortgage offer through, as well. It also gives you plenty of time to give the rented place a good clean!

Jim_B_3

Presumably you're about to take on a six figure debt that will last for the next twenty or so years and result in you paying out about three times the label price on your new house - in perspective, paying a month's rent extra is not much at all.