Rental notice, uncertain date

Robinbird

Dear all,

My husband and I are jumping into this shared ownership adventure and we have been successful at every step so far: we have a mortgage offer in our hands!
With completion in sight (hope I'm not jinxing it!) we are wondering how to best handle leaving our rented home.
Our seller is going away on holiday in June for three weeks. We are looking at either completion on the 25th/26th May (28th at a push) or the 21st of June. We have a massive gap between both dates and I am wondering how to best present the situation to our landlady. We have a standard rolling contract with a one month notice. The issue is, if we give our notice for the 28th May and completion doesn't happen, we would be "homeless" for a month (we have family around but it's not ideal a situation). However if we give our notice for 21st June and we complete early, we might be liable for another month's rent. We pay rent on the 14th.
Would it be best to lay out this situation to the landlady in a letter and say it might be one date or the offer and we hope she can be flexible? We would let her know as soon as possible once we have a completion date.
So as you can see, bit confused!
Anyone with similar experience? Advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks

Finchy2018

Serve notice once you have exchanged. Nothing is set in stone til then.

We had 2 months notice so had two properties for that time and I am glad. Hot water didn't work in the new house so we could still shower at old and take care of any work to be done before moving in. We budgeted for this from the start however.

G_M

Robinbird wrote: »

......
With completion in sight
Exchanged yet? If not, 'in sight' does not mean it will happen.

we are wondering how to best handle leaving our rented home.
Our seller is going away on holiday in June for three weeks. We are looking at either completion on the 25th/26th May (28th at a push) or the 21st of June.
Both possible assuming
* the seller agrees, and
* everyone else in the chain agrees, and
* all their solicitors agree.

So don't count your chickens.........

We have a massive gap between both dates and I am wondering how to best present the situation to our landlady. We have a standard rolling contract with a one month notice.
Statutory Periodic Tenancy?See link below for defintition.
Or Contractual Periodic Tenancy? Please quote the exact wording

The issue is, if we give our notice for the 28th May and completion doesn't happen, we would be "homeless" for a month (we have family around but it's not ideal a situation). However if we give our notice for 21st June and we complete early, we might be liable for another month's rent.
Do not give formal notice until you have Exchanged Contracts. Your entire purchase might fall through.......

We pay rent on the 14th. Irrelevant. What are the dates of your tenancy periods? (see link below)

Would it be best to lay out this situation to the landlady in a letter and say it might be one date or the offer and we hope she can be flexible?
If you have a good relationship with your LL, then I would advocate this approach, but not by letter. On the phone or face to face. Invite her to tea? Bake a cake?

We would let her know as soon as possible once we have a completion date.
That is the pont at which to put in your formalnotice in writing.

Many LLs will understand the purchasing process, and understand the uncertainty. And many LLs will be sympathetic to the difficuties. With such a LL, and assuming the relationship is good, a frank informal discussion

* can give the LL an early 'heads up' that you plan to leave, which is helpful for her
* whilst leaving the formal ending of the tenancy till later
* can also mean you and the LL might agree a shorter notice period. If so, get this confirmed in writing, so that once you Exchange Contracts and have a firm Completion date, you can serve, say, 10 days notice to end the tenancy.

Having said all that, some LLs are not flexible, and will insist on the legally required notice period (see above + link below). In that case, make sure you understand what the notice period is, and how/where notice must be served.

* Ending/renewing an AST: what happens when a fixed term ends? How can a LL or tenant end a tenancy? What is a periodic tenancy?