Tennant leaving before end of contract

fredsnail

Our tenant is leaving 2 months before the end of the 6 month contract due to problems with the neighbors involving the police (tenants choice to leave - although we would have been giving notice at the end of the contract due to the problems).

We understand from the letting agent that the tenant will still be liable for the rent until the end of the contract or if they can find someone else to move in before the end of the contract.

The query we have is who's liable for council tax and water rates in this period?

Thanks for looking.

fs

mchale

Tenant, until you gain vacant possession then you till you re: rent

thesaint

The tenant is liable for the fixed term.

If they move out, then the council will use any council tax exemption that the property may be allowed.

G_M

It depends.

It sounds like you are the landlord? It is up to you, not your agent, what you decide to do.

You can release the tenant by agreeing to an Early Surrender of the tenancy. Tenancy then ends on whatever date you agree. You can impose whatever conditions you like on the tenant in return for your agreement eg tenant to pay a certain amount for re-marketing, or, as your agent suggests, the Early Surrender only to take place when a new tenant is found.

Once the Early Surrender takes place the tenancy ends an all responsibility returns to you the landlord.

Or you can refuse, and require the tenant to pay rent (and gas, council tax etc) till the tenancy ends after 6 months. If the tenant chooses to vacate, which of course he can, that does not end the tenancy or the tenant's responsibilities.