How to get out of rental contract early.

Bark01

Hi,

I'm being asked to move out of the rental home I've been in for the past decade as it needs maintenance. The notice came 2 days after a house sale fell through...

I'm still looking to buy but need to find somewhere to rent for a few months. The rental market where I live is crazy, all viewing s are booked within an hour of a property hitting Rightmove and every house I've said I'd like to rent has had multiple people say yes to. I've viewed 10 house this week all with the same result. I'm a mature man with an above average salary, no pets, no kids, I don't smoke and I've been in at the same rental contract for the past decade. I thought this would stand me in good stead and it would be easy to find somewhere...

The chances of me getting a property at the moment look slim let alone getting a property on a short term lease. I don't feel I can ask any letting agent how I would get out of a contract early as it would hamper my chances of getting a property even further.

I've assumed i could just find someone to take over my rent if I wanted to leave early, but would letting agents be okay with this? I could also sublet, obviously this would be against my tenancy agreement, but on reading up on this, it just looks like the agency would evict me. which i would obviously be happy with as i want to leave. Is that the case? I'm not too fussed about losing my deposit.

elsien

What sort of notice have they served you? 

Bark01

There's nothing bad on that side its end of 12 month tenancy and they gave 60 days notice. The letting agency are being money grabbing dicks, but I'm over it. My question is about the future not the past tenancy.

dimbo61

" I have been asked "
So how have the past 10 years been living in your current home ?
Has the property got a valid EPC ?
Gas in the property ? If so has the Landlord or Lettings Agents had a Gas Safe Certificate done every year ?
What about the EICR on the electrics ?

steve866

Could you consider being a lodger somewhere?

canaldumidi

* Which country?

* do you rent the entire property, or share? With landlord or others?

* what (exact) dates, are your fixed term?

* Have you been served a S21 Notice? Or a S8 Notice? If S8, which ground? See

Schedule 2 (17 S8 Grounds a LL can use)

 If S21, what service date and what expiry date?

*Have you checked the S21 (if any) is valid? See

S21 checklist (Is a S21 valid?)

*What makes you think you need to leave? Read

Post 4: 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?

You can't just "find someone to take over my rent" unless a) the LL agrees to this and b) the LL agrees the the specific person.

deannagone

I'm not totally sure but I think the OP is asking if he could get out of a future tenancy early if he wanted to?  Hoping the OP will come back and clarify.

But the OP also needs to clarify if they do in fact have to move out of the present property.  If they have just received a letter saying you need to be out by x date in 60 days time, that does not legally entitle the LL to evict the OP from their present property.  In the UK, even a S21 is just a notice that after this time the LL can go to court and get a Possession order and bailiffs warrant etc in order to legally evict the tenant.  They can start a legal eviction.  Without this process being followed, anything else is an illegal eviction.  The OP may not need to leave as instructed, which could give them more time to find alternative accommodation.

But rules are different in Wales and Scotland, so to answer the question properly we also need to know where the present property is.

hazyjo

Bark01 said:

There's nothing bad on that side its end of 12 month tenancy and they gave 60 days notice. The letting agency are being money grabbing dicks, but I'm over it. My question is about the future not the past tenancy.

People are asking as it will take them around a year to get you out. Notice really means they would like you to go. If you want to stay, stay. You legally have many months yet. So your current tenancy is totally relevant. It doesn't have to be about a future one.