Ending a Tenancy

All you need to know about ending your tenancy

Service Information

Can I end the Tenancy?

  • Wherever possible the tenant/s should end the tenancy for themselves, this can be done using our online forms.
  • If you are a joint tenant, then either tenant can give notice to end the tenancy but the tenancy ends for both tenants and everyone will be expected to move out
  • Where the tenant has passed away then you will be asked to provide a copy of the death certificate and confirmation that you have a right to end the tenancy, as you are an Executor of the Will or an Appointed Administrator by the Probate Office
  • If you are not an Executor or Appointed Administrator to the deceased person, then you cannot end the tenancy, the Council must serve notice on the Public Trustee to end the tenancy.
  • If you want to end the tenancy for someone who is not capable of doing it themselves then you will be asked to provide proof that you or another statutory agency has authority to act for that person, such as Power of Attorney for example.

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How much notice to end the tenancy do I need to give you?

  • You must give us four weeks notice to end the tenancy.
  • The tenancy must end on a Sunday
  • If you do not give us notice we will continue to charge rent until we either receive a notice and it expires or we obtain a court order to recover possession.
  • You will be liable for the costs of obtaining any court order because you haven't given proper notice.
  • Please note that where a tenant has passed away and they claimed benefits to meet their housing costs, benefit will only be paid up to the date of death, not for the notice period. The rent for the notice period will need to be paid by the deceased estate. Please contact us if you need further advice on this, we are here to help - Here are our contact details to enquire

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The tenant has passed away but someone is still living in the property, what do I do?

  • If you were a joint tenant with the deceased, or a family member who was living in the property at the property before the tenant passed away DO NOT COMPLETE A NOTICE TO QUIT yet.
  • You may be entitled to “succeed” to the tenancy
  • Please contact us for advice on what to do next - Here are our contact details

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My relationship has broken down and I/my partner have left the property.

What do I do?

    • If you are a joint tenant and one of you no longer wish to be part of the tenancy. A notice to quit given by one tenant ends the tenancy for both tenants and you may both have to move out when the tenancy ends. Please contact your Neighbourhood & Tenancy Officer for further advise, before completing a notice to quit - Here are our contact details.
    • Alternatively, if one tenant moves out of the property and is not willing to terminate the tenancy, the remaining party can make an application to the courts for a property adjustment order to move the tenancy into the remaining tenant’s name.

What happens when the Council receives my notice?

  • Within 2 working days we will acknowledge your notice by letter or email, confirming the day that the tenancy ends, the date keys are due back to us and an estimate of the balance that needs to be cleared by the end of the tenancy.
  • We will also telephone you within 2 working days to arrange a convenient time to inspect the property. The inspection should take place within one week of the notice

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Why do I have to have a property inspection?


  • The inspection is conducted by Council Officers and is an opportunity to agree the condition of the property, what alterations or improvements have been made, if any damage has been caused and what work is likely to be needed when the property is empty to get it ready to re-let.
  • You will be advised of and agree to what needs to be done by you before the keys are handed in to avoid being charged by the Council for doing work that was agreed as your responsibility.

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Paying rent and other charges

  • You must continue to pay rent and other charges up until the day you hand in your keys and your tenancy ends
  • If you pay by Direct Debit, do not cancel it yet
  • When we receive your Notice to Quit, we will contact you within 2 working days to give you an estimated balance to clear before you hand in your keys.
  • At the property inspection we will tell you what you need to do to avoid further charges being added to your account
  • When you hand in your keys, we will inspect the property again and finalise your account
  • We will contact you to discuss the balance and ways to pay outstanding balances or how we refund credit balances to you
  • If you do not settle your account, or keep up repayment arrangements, we will make reasonable attempts to work with you before passing the debt to a Debt Collection Agency (Bailiffs)
  • Failure to pay what you owe to the Council may impact upon your future housing options with Councils, Housing Associations and the Private Rented Sector

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What do I have to do before I hand in my keys?

  • You must have a property inspection
  • You must clear the property, including the loft of all your belongings and rubbish, including carpets and curtains and leave it in a clean condition
  • Please remember to remove appliances responsibly
  • You must clear the garden and any outbuildings of any belongings and rubbish, including animal faeces and leave the garden tidy and suitably maintained.
  • You must do the work that you agreed to do at the property inspection.
  • You must notify your suppliers that you are leaving, pay outstanding bills and leave credit on the utility meters. Don't forget to take a closing meter reading for yourself.
  • Turn off your water stop tap
  • You must notify benefit agencies of the date that you are leaving or if the tenant has passed away, the date of death.
  • You may need to redirect your post
  • You must pay the Council everything you owe them up to the end of the tenancy

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How and where do I hand in my keys?

  • Your tenancy does not end until the keys are handed in.
  • During your property inspection your Neighbourhood & Tenancy Officer will arrange a date to complete a final inspection and collect they keys from you. Your keys need to be handed into a Neighbourhood & Tenancy Officer and should not be returned to one of our offices as they will not be accepted. If you are not clear on when your Neighbourhood & Tenancy Officer is collecting your keys please call the Neighbourhood & Tenancy duty line on 01527 587000
  • Keys must be handed in by 12:00 midday on the Monday after you tenancy ends.
  • You may hand in your keys early, but rent will still be charged up to the end of the tenancy. Please talk to us about exceptional circumstances, but ending the tenancy early is at the Councils absolute discretion.
  • You must give us vacant possession by 12:00 noon on the day keys are due. I.e. the property must be empty and no one left in occupation.
  • If you do not hand in your keys by the due date and time, Council Officers will attempt to contact you. If they cannot make contact, they will take legal steps to end the tenancy and you will be liable for the costs of doing so.

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What happens after my tenancy has ended?

  • Within 2 working days, we will inspect your property and schedule the work needed
  • We will clear the property and dispose of anything that you have left behind.
  • We will establish what works are rechargeable to you, including clearances.
  • We will check that you have paid the Council everything that you owe them
  • We will send you a final statement of your balance and contact you to discuss it within 10 working days of the tenancy ending.
  • If you do not respond, we will make reasonable attempts to trace / contact you before passing the debt to a debt collection agency.
  • If you cannot pay, or there is no money in the deceased estate to pay what is due then you must talk to us, we are here to help.

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I want to end my garage tenancy

  • Your garage tenancy is a separate tenancy and will need a separate Notice to Quit if you wish to end it, see our Online forms.
  • If you are ending the tenancy for someone who has passed away and they also rented a garage from us, if you think you may have a right to succeed to the tenancy of the dwelling, then you may also have a right to succeed to the garage tenancy.
  • If this is the case, please do not submit a notice to quit before discussing your options with your Neighbourhood Officer - Here are our contact details

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