So, 1st May has come and gone, and we are now in the new Assured Period Tenancy regime post Renters Rights Act. I had to have a think about what topic to write about first and after some pondering decided on something that will have an immediate for some landlords and tenants - notice periods to end tenancies!

A quick reminder

Most private rented tenancies are now assured periodic (rolling) with no fixed end date. This means a tenant can usually leave by giving the landlord at least two months’ written notice. To be valid, the notice should normally end on the last day of a rental period (often the day before rent is due). If the tenant wants to leave sooner, you can agree an early surrender - but get it in writing. Section 21 is gone, if you need possession then you’re in Section 8 territory.

The rental period and why it matters

Under a periodic tenancy, time runs in repeating ‘rental periods’ - typically monthly, but it can be weekly. In simple terms, it’s the cycle your rent covers. The mydeposits guide highlights a point that’s easy to miss: a tenant’s notice should usually be timed so it expires on the final day of one of those periods.

Examples:

• Rent due on the 1st: your rental period is often 1st to last day of the month. A notice would usually end on the last day of the month (the day before the next rent date)

• Rent due on the 15th: your rental period is often 15th to 14th. A notice would usually end on the 14th

• Weekly rent due on a Friday: the rental period is usually Friday to Thursday, so a notice would typically end on the Thursday

What does a ‘valid’ tenant notice look like?

You don’t need ‘War and Peace’. What you do need is clarity, and a date that works. If a tenant emails something vague like “I’m moving out in two months”, treat it as the start of a conversation, not a finished legal step. Think about all the following:

• In writing (email may be fine in practice if you can evidence receipt; belt-and-braces is to ask for email and a signed letter)

• Clear statement that the tenant is giving notice to end the tenancy

• Property address

• End date that is at least two months away and normally aligns with the end of a rental period

• Who is giving notice (especially important if there are joint tenants)

Don’t sleepwalk into a joint tenant dispute

Where two or more tenants rent under one agreement, notice can get messy quickly. Joint tenancies as an area where extra steps may apply. If you receive notice from one joint tenant, don’t assume it’s just ‘their’ notice it may affect the whole tenancy depending on the circumstances. If you receive notice to leave from a joint, then:

• Reply in writing confirming what you understand the notice to mean and the proposed end date

• Ask all joint tenants to confirm their intentions (again, in writing)

• If one tenant wants to stay, treat it as a new agreement/new tenant set-up rather than trying to ‘edit’ the old one informally

• If you agree an early exit or a replacement tenant, document it as a surrender and re-grant (or get legal advice on the cleanest route)

If a tenant requests an early exit, then agree it, write it and file it

Two months’ notice is the usual rule, but real life isn’t always that tidy. If you’re happy for a tenant to go earlier, that’s normally done by surrender (ending the tenancy by agreement). My advice: if it isn’t written down, it didn’t happen.

• Confirm the agreed surrender date in writing (email is better than nothing; signed document is best)

• Be explicit about rent liability up to the surrender date, and what happens if keys are returned late

• Line up your check-out and start your re-let clock early - with periodic tenancies, you’ll feel voids faster if you leave planning to the last minute

This week you may want to:

• Update your tenant notice acknowledgement email/template so it checks the rental-period end date

• Train whoever answers the inbox/phone to spot invalid dates and to get notice confirmed in writing

• Build a simple two-month pipeline for re-lets (viewings, compliance, marketing) so you’re not scrambling

• Read the mydeposits guide on this topic

Getting tenant notice periods right under the new regime is less about complexity and more about getting the dates and process correct. Clear written communication and alignment with rental periods will help avoid disputes and unnecessary delays.