Moving out early - utility bills?

RoisinDubh_2

Hello all,
I'm just wondering what I should do about this issue. I have a long notice period of my flat and am moving out several weeks early. I have now realised I am probably obliged to pay all the bills right up to my end of tenancy date, as otherwise the landlord will be billed, and will probably contact me about paying? I don't mind the council tax so much but I am unsure what to do about gas and electricity, as I do not want to be billed for usage after I've moved out and handed back keys. What do people do in this situation?

davidmcn

Don't hand back keys early? Nobody else ought to be taking entry while your tenancy is still running anyway, so there shouldn't be any usage which isn't yours. 

Slithery

Don't hand the keys back until the tenancy ends?

RoisinDubh_2

Oh sorry - I meant to clarify that the reason I'm moving early is to allow viewings to be carried out without me needing to be here as I'm vulnerable to covid.

greatcrested

1) is your tenancy in a fixed term and you are moving out early before the fixed term ends? You are liable for council tax till the end of the fixed term. You are also liable for utilities till then. Ask the agent to read the meter and send you a photo of the meter as well. Then use that reading to get a final bill from the utility companies.

2) if you are in a periodic (rolling) tenancy and have served notice, you are only liable for council tax up to the date you vacate (irrespective of when the notice expires and the tenancy ends). However you are liable for utilities as in 1) above. You could perhaps negotiate with the LL/agent for him to either take over, or contribute to the utilities since he will be going in, turning on lights (and heating?) etc, but you can not really insist. Bear in mind also that you must leave the heating on low - if you turn it off and the pipes freeze and burst, you will be liable for the damage......

3) not sure what 'a long notice period' means. Do you mean

a) your contract requires a long period eg 3 months, or

b) you have chosen to serve notice far in advance of the date you want the periodic tenancy to end? Note that a fixed term tenancy does not require any notice period.

davidmcn

RoisinDubh_2 said:

Oh sorry - I meant to clarify that the reason I'm moving early is to allow viewings to be carried out without me needing to be here as I'm vulnerable to covid.

So if you're doing them a favour, why aren't they ending your tenancy early? That way, your liability would end when you move out. 

RoisinDubh_2

greatcrested said:

1) is your tenancy in a fixed term and you are moving out early before the fixed term ends? You are liable for council tax till the end of the fixed term. You are also liable for utilities till then. Ask the agent to read the meter and send you a photo of the meter as well. Then use that reading to get a final bill from the utility companies.

2) if you are in a periodic (rolling) tenancy and have served notice, you are only liable for council tax up to the date you vacate (irrespective of when the notice expires and the tenancy ends). However you are liable for utilities as in 1) above. You could perhaps negotiate with the LL/agent for him to either take over, or contribute to the utilities since he will be going in, turning on lights (and heating?) etc, but you can not really insist. Bear in mind also that you must leave the heating on low - if you turn it off and the pipes freeze and burst, you will be liable for the damage......

3) not sure what 'a long notice period' means. Do you mean

a) your contract requires a long period eg 3 months, or

b) you have chosen to serve notice far in advance of the date you want the periodic tenancy to end? Note that a fixed term tenancy does not require any notice period.

I am now in a periodic tenancy. tbh I would have thought it was the other way around - would the landlord not consider me liable for council tax if I'm leaving early for my own benefit (technically)? 
I don't really understand why I'd be liable for damage if the pipes burst - what if I went away for a few days or something? 
My notice period is 8 weeks compared to the more usual 4 weeks. I want to move out halfway through the notice period and the idea was that this would facilitate viewings and repair work which they could carry out once i'm gone. 

RoisinDubh_2

davidmcn said:

RoisinDubh_2 said:

Oh sorry - I meant to clarify that the reason I'm moving early is to allow viewings to be carried out without me needing to be here as I'm vulnerable to covid.

So if you're doing them a favour, why aren't they ending your tenancy early? That way, your liability would end when you move out. 

Hah - I WISH they saw it as me doing them a favour. They see it as their right to do viewings whenever they want, as per the contract, and if I want to leave early, that's on me. 

Slithery

RoisinDubh_2 said:

greatcrested said:

1) is your tenancy in a fixed term and you are moving out early before the fixed term ends? You are liable for council tax till the end of the fixed term. You are also liable for utilities till then. Ask the agent to read the meter and send you a photo of the meter as well. Then use that reading to get a final bill from the utility companies.

2) if you are in a periodic (rolling) tenancy and have served notice, you are only liable for council tax up to the date you vacate (irrespective of when the notice expires and the tenancy ends). However you are liable for utilities as in 1) above. You could perhaps negotiate with the LL/agent for him to either take over, or contribute to the utilities since he will be going in, turning on lights (and heating?) etc, but you can not really insist. Bear in mind also that you must leave the heating on low - if you turn it off and the pipes freeze and burst, you will be liable for the damage......

3) not sure what 'a long notice period' means. Do you mean

a) your contract requires a long period eg 3 months, or

b) you have chosen to serve notice far in advance of the date you want the periodic tenancy to end? Note that a fixed term tenancy does not require any notice period.

I am now in a periodic tenancy. tbh I would have thought it was the other way around - would the landlord not consider me liable for council tax if I'm leaving early for my own benefit (technically)?

The landlord can 'consider' whatever they wish, but it isn't their decision. The law states that it's their responsibility.

davidmcn

RoisinDubh_2 said:

davidmcn said:

RoisinDubh_2 said:

Oh sorry - I meant to clarify that the reason I'm moving early is to allow viewings to be carried out without me needing to be here as I'm vulnerable to covid.

So if you're doing them a favour, why aren't they ending your tenancy early? That way, your liability would end when you move out. 

Hah - I WISH they saw it as me doing them a favour. They see it as their right to do viewings whenever they want, as per the contract, and if I want to leave early, that's on me. 

But like explained on your other thread, you don't need to let them in (and that applies whether you're actually there or not!). And you don't need to let them know when you're moving out. 

RoisinDubh_2

davidmcn said:

RoisinDubh_2 said:

davidmcn said:

RoisinDubh_2 said:

Oh sorry - I meant to clarify that the reason I'm moving early is to allow viewings to be carried out without me needing to be here as I'm vulnerable to covid.

So if you're doing them a favour, why aren't they ending your tenancy early? That way, your liability would end when you move out. 

Hah - I WISH they saw it as me doing them a favour. They see it as their right to do viewings whenever they want, as per the contract, and if I want to leave early, that's on me. 

But like explained on your other thread, you don't need to let them in (and that applies whether you're actually there or not!). And you don't need to let them know when you're moving out. 

No, but we established they could also technically take me to court for loss of income if they wanted to, even if they probably wouldn't. It just seemed like a win win situation to vacate early and let them do their things with me handing over the keys early and that being that. I didn't realise the utility issue would be such a faff - I thought I could simply give my vacating date as my leaving date and that would be that. Perhaps I could arrange with them to formally vacate early, and tell them I don't want to be responsible for bills after that date? Would that be reasonable?