Tenancy Query

David487

Hi! I'm currently in rented accommodation due to starting a new job in December 2019, and the tenancy expires in June. I had a mortgage decision in principle so was viewing houses, but the decision has now been withdrawn. I also own outright another house, in Scotland, but I can't sell it, nor am I even able to visit it to check on upkeep as I can't get there.
So, what happens with my tenancy? I have asked the letting agents but am met with silence from them and I don't have my landlord's contact details as he does everything through the agency. I'm not furloughed as I'm a key worker so I could continue to pay full rent. I am lucky in my job, however, that I can live anywhere in the UK within reason, as my employer provides accommodation when on-shift to anyone not within 15 minutes of our base.
The other question, if my landlord doesn't renew my tenancy, could I move in with my girlfriend? Furniture would be an issue but nothing insurmountable. We are both living on our own currently and are both going stir-crazy too, which doesn't help.
Thank you in advance for your thoughts and advice, David 

gary83

In England if you do nothing & remain in the house your AST (assured shorthold tenancy) becomes periodic. The terms of the rent are the same but you now have the power to give notice coinciding with rental periods to leave the house. (Usually you’d potentially have to give one months notice to leave, if that lined up with the dates you pay rent, the landlord could give you two months notice before starting eviction proceedings) If you are thinking of buying at some point soon you’d probably be better of doing that than renewing for another fixed term.

David487

Hi Gary, thank you for your reply. I was hoping to buy but since I met my girlfriend plans have changed as she's (or was..) in the process of buying a new-build, although that's now on pause, and I was going to move in with her. Plus, I don't know if I'd get a decision in principle again due to what's happening now and I don't know how quick I'd be able to sell my house in Scotland, or what for. 

gary83

if It was me I’d still read up on periodic tenancies, with the expectation not to sign anything by June. If later in the year you want to move out you have the flexibility to do that with as little as a months notice. 

Personally I couldn’t think of anything worse than moving in with someone new until we’re approaching normality again. Rather than having the honeymoon period of living together be spent trapped in the house 24/7 with nowhere to go.

David487

Hi Gary, we'd been living together either at my flat or hers whenever I was on my 'off' periods (4 on, 4 off) . We wouldn't be 24/7 in the same house as we're both key workers, and work differing shifts. so we are lucky that we would be able to have the normality of working life.

I'll look into periodic tenancies, as for my house in Scotland they've just increased the minimum notice period to six months, but nothing in England yet, so I assume my landlord could give me notice at any point now and I'd have to move out on expiration?