{"id":6470,"date":"2019-09-20T08:30:30","date_gmt":"2019-09-20T08:30:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.withcreative.co.uk\/lforl\/?p=6470"},"modified":"2019-09-20T08:30:30","modified_gmt":"2019-09-20T08:30:30","slug":"how-fixed-is-a-fixed-term-tenancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.withcreative.co.uk\/lforl\/how-fixed-is-a-fixed-term-tenancy\/","title":{"rendered":"How fixed is a fixed-term tenancy?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
\nA friend of mine is facing a dilemma. Over the next year or so, he\u2019s hoping to move to New Zealand. He\u2019s getting all his ducks in a row now. His profession is one that\u2019s in demand, he has contacts, friends and a promise of a place to stay while he finds his feet. But right now, while he\u2019s seeing out a project he\u2019s been running in the UK, he needs a place to rent.<\/p>\n

Finding a property isn\u2019t the issue. The issue for him is not knowing how long it will be before he moves out to Christchurch. Depending on a whole clutch of variables it could be 18 months, but if his project doesn\u2019t hit any glitches and a brilliant opportunity arises in New Zealand, it could be six. \u00a0His situation isn\u2019t unique. All over the country people are wondering what happens if they take out a fixed-term tenancy, say for 12 months, and want to move on half-way through the term.<\/p>\n

Putting it bluntly, a fixed term is fixed. It ties you in. If it\u2019s for 12 months, you\u2019re liable to pay 12 months of rent. It\u2019s the landlord\u2019s way of getting a bit of certainty in an uncertain world. They know that for the period of the tenancy, providing you don\u2019t default, their rental income is assured. They know when a tenancy will end and when to start the search for a new occupier. \u00a0Fixed terms can work well for tenants too. You know what the situation is and can plan around it.<\/p>\n

But when there are other variables \u2013 as in the case of my friend or perhaps if you\u2019re renting while searching for a property to buy \u2013 the ability to cut short a fixed term agreement could be a major advantage.<\/p>\n

There are a couple of ways in which this could be done. Firstly, some fixed-term agreements have a break clause built-in. Typically, a 12-month tenancy would have a break at 6 months. But note that the precise details of how such a clause would work and how much notice would be required can vary.<\/p>\n

The second way is to negotiate with the landlord. There is no guarantee that they will agree, but you can take steps to make it more likely. Perhaps the key factor is the nature of the relationship you have with the landlord. If it\u2019s a good one, based on respect and trust, and you have a genuine reason for wanting to end the tenancy early, you may be able to agree what\u2019s called a surrender.<\/p>\n

Remember that the landlord has no obligation to help you out, so anything you can do to assist is a good move. You could be very accommodating with viewings for example and keep the place immaculate. \u00a0Maybe you know someone who would be interested in taking on the tenancy? Could you find someone yourself? Some tenants have forfeited a deposit to secure a surrender. Others move on and simply continue to pay the rent until the new tenant moves in. It\u2019s not perfect, but it could save you a few months\u2019 rent.<\/p>\n

My advice to my friend was to look for a contract with a break clause. I suggested he was open and honest about his plans with potential landlords, and that he give them his assurance that he understood his obligations and was willing to work with them if his circumstances changed.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in a similar situation, have a think about how you\u2019d handle it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A friend of mine is facing a dilemma. Over the next year or so, he\u2019s hoping to move to New Zealand. He\u2019s getting all his ducks in a row now. His profession is one that\u2019s in demand, he has contacts, friends and a promise of a place to stay while he finds his feet. But […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[63,2081,2183,21],"yoast_head":"\nHow fixed is a fixed-term tenancy? - Legal For Landlords<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.withcreative.co.uk\/lforl\/how-fixed-is-a-fixed-term-tenancy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How fixed is a fixed-term tenancy? - Legal For Landlords\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A friend of mine is facing a dilemma. Over the next year or so, he\u2019s hoping to move to New Zealand. He\u2019s getting all his ducks in a row now. 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