Renting 2 properties at once

movinagain

Help please! I currently live in a rented flat with a tenancy that expires next August. For personal reasons, I want to move into another rented property several months before the first agreement expires. I realise this will involve paying 2 lots of rent, utilities, council tax for the overlap period, but are there any other pitfalls or reasons why I should not do this? Any formalities I must comply with - tax or whatever? Probably a simple question, but new to me and I would appreciate advice, please. Thank you. 

Brie

presumably your landlords are responsible for building insurance but you may have some responsibility to check that the property is safe without you in it.  So no burst pipes, no squatters?  are you close enough to check on it regularly?

Any chance that you could ask the landlord of the first place to allow you to break your lease early?  To allow him/her to paint, improve, renovate?  

Whatever happens do ensure that the last day you are renting the place that you take all the meter readings and any other formalities.

Bookworm105

as you correctly list, those are costs you will continue to be liable for during the overlap.
Insurance is a definite issue since many policies will have maximum period of absence so the LL's policy may be invalidated, certainty something best openly discussed with your LL.

Council tax would be a grey area since technically you cannot have simultaneous main homes, so one of the rentals would be your "second" home and, depending on your council, may therefore incur the second home council tax charge - if the council funds out....

Grumpy_chap

movinagain said:

Help please! I currently live in a rented flat with a tenancy that expires next August. For personal reasons, I want to move into another rented property several months before the first agreement expires. I realise this will involve paying 2 lots of rent, utilities, council tax for the overlap period, but are there any other pitfalls or reasons why I should not do this? Any formalities I must comply with - tax or whatever? Probably a simple question, but new to me and I would appreciate advice, please. Thank you. 

Are you planning to keep renting both properties and retain access to both properties?

Or, are you intending to sacrifice the tenancy on the first?  You would remain responsible for the rent but the LL should take reasonable steps to mitigate their "losses" so should market the property for let straight away.  Moving out and forfeiting the tenancy will also allow you to take closing meter reads and return responsibility for the property back to the LL.

I'd also say to read and re-read your tenancy agreement to check and double check for break clause or two-month notice clause.

Mr.Generous

The only thing I can think of not yet mentioned is paying a second deposit before you get the first one (or part of it) back.

On the council tax front when I've had a tenant tell the council they moved out early I just show them the Tenancy Agreement and surrender date. I am liable after the tenancy ends, and not before.

FlorayG

There are instances of people renting properties and not living in them but I think you need to inform the landlord because of their insurance - most LL insurance states 'empty for not more than 4 weeks consecutive' although it can be extended if the LL informs the insurer. You would need to make agreement with the LL that you will visit regularly (take photos as proof) to check heating, water etc. is all ok because if there is a leak and you don't know because you're not there LL might hold you liable; when there is no tenant LL has to do these checks, so may be if you get along OK with the LL you could give permission for her/him to do the checks? It all depends of course on why you are planning to keep two rentals at the same time

PRAISETHESUN

I've had an overlap of tenancies for a few weeks when moving between properties, but several months sounds a bit much. Any reason why you wouldn't just negotiate an early surrender of your tenancy for the first property? There will likely be some costs involved depending on what the LL wants, but nothing like several months worth of rent.

Otherwise the usual things apply - you would be responsible for council tax, utilities, and generally ensuring the property is taken care of. Would you be checking the first property regularly to ensure it hasn't been broken into, that pipes haven't burst, that it hasn't burnt down, etc? Council tax in particular will vary depending on where you are in the country - for me I was able to claim a 100% discount for a few weeks because one property was unfurnished, but YMMV.

theartfullodger

Is this England (the law is different in eg NI, Wales...)??

The landlords probably won't understand but only one can be your prime residence - therefore only one (in england) can be an AST - so s21 & s8s are invalid for the other one.  Many agents, solicitors, won;t understand..

movinagain

Thanks, everyone. Really helpful. I don’t understand the last point about s21 and s8? Could you explain, please?  I will try to negotiate early end to present tenancy, but was just looking at what I might be faced with. 

movinagain

If I have to run both tenancies at once for a few months, am I better to remain living in the present one until it ends or moving to the second? The important point is to secure the new tenancy, but while I would prefer to move as soon as possible, I could stay here until expiry as long as I’ve secured the new one if that’s advisable. Thanks. 

dinosaur66

movinagain said:

Thanks, everyone. Really helpful. I don’t understand the last point about s21 and s8? Could you explain, please?  I will try to negotiate early end to present tenancy, but was just looking at what I might be faced with. 

section 21 and 8  are where the landlord serves a notice on you to leave / not  applicable in your case so do not worry about them

as long as the landlord is not a d/head just ask them that sorry but you really need to move area straight away and can i give you short notice and leave /

as long as everything is in order / in 2 weeks they can have a new tenant if they want one

in the new renters rights bill going through there will be on a rolling contract of just 2 months with no penalties allowed.

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