Tenants’ Notices to Quit – New Landlord Law Guidance Now Live

I said in my training webinar recently that I was preparing some content to help landlords deal with tenants’ notices to quit, and I have now finished this.

It builds on the FAQ I had already done here on tenants’ notices to quit (NTQ).

A tenant’s Notice to Quit looks simple — but if mishandled, it can create serious legal complications. For example, landlords will need to be careful not to create accidental surrenders or unintended new tenancies.

The new Landlord Law content is as follows:

A new tenant notice to quit procedure

This is one of our procedures which you can require tenants to follow in certain circumstances by incorporating them into your tenancy agreement.

This procedure sets out what tenants need to do if they want to end their tenancy, after 1 May 2026 after it has been converted to an assured periodic tenancy (although similar rules will apply now if they have a periodic AST).

The procedure provides a draft tenant’s notice to quit for them to use. Although the legislation says you cannot require tenants to give their NTQ in a specific form, there is nothing to say you cannot provide a draft for them to use if they want to!

Members will find this here.

A new FAQ on what you should do on receipt of a tenant’s NTQ

This discusses the various situations that can arise, for example

• Not all of the tenants may want to leave, or
• The tenants may change their mind and want to withdraw their NTQ.

I provide an agreement that can be used to confirm the withdrawal of the NTQ, if you agree to this, and an email you can use to protect your position if you don’t.

It is important that you deal with things properly on receipt of your tenant’s notice so as not to cause problems later.

Members will find the FAQ here.

An amended version of our eviction guide common law eviction procedure based on Notice to Quit

I had been thinking about doing a new section in the eviction guide for some time, when I suddenly realised that I already have guidance on obtaining possession based on a notice to quit! Duh!

Our eviction guide has long included a section on obtaining possession based on a landlord’s Notice to Quit for unregulated common law tenancies.

The same procedure (very slightly amended) can be used where the Notice to Quit was served by the tenants in an assured tenancy. (S5 of the Housing Act 1988 forbids Notices to Quit for landlords for assured tenancies).

The ground for the possession claim with a tenant’s NTQ is essentially the same – that the tenancy has ended due to a Notice to Quit and the tenant has not given up possession.

Members will find the relevant eviction guide section here.

If any members have questions about this new content, please put it on the members’ forum.