How tenants end a tenancy now: notice to quit rules

The tenant notice to quit rules changed on 1 May 2026: a tenant in England must now give at least 2 months' notice in writing, unless you agree a shorter period in writing, and you can't require more than 2 months. The notice has to end the tenancy on a rent day or the day before one. You can't tell the tenant what form their notice must take.

How much notice must a tenant give?

The rules are in the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, as amended by the Renters' Rights Act:

• At least 2 months, unless you have agreed a shorter period in writing.
• No more than 2 months can be required. A tenancy term asking for 3 months doesn't bind the tenant.
• The end date must be a day when rent is due, or the day before rent is due.

For tenancies that started on or after 1 May 2026, the written statement of terms must tell the tenant how much notice they need to give. It can be any period up to 2 months. If the statement doesn't say, it is 2 months.

These rules apply to private assured tenancies in England, which since 1 May 2026 are all periodic tenancies. Wales has its own system under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.

Worked example: checking the end date

Use this method when a tenant's notice arrives.

Step	Example
1. Note the date you received the notice	Email received 3 March 2027
2. Note the rent day	Rent due on the 15th of each month
3. Count at least 2 months forward	Takes you to early May 2027
4. Find the next rent day, or the day before it	Rent is due 15 May, so the tenancy can end on 14 or 15 May 2027
5. Compare with the tenant's date	The tenant wrote "30 April". That is too early unless you agree it in writing

If the tenant's date is too early, or doesn't fall on a rent day or the day before, the simplest fix is to agree the end date in writing with the tenant. An agreed earlier end is allowed, as long as it is in writing.

What form must a tenant notice to quit take?

The notice must be in writing. GOV.UK's examples are a letter, an email or a text. Beyond that, the tenant chooses.

GOV.UK puts it plainly: "You cannot tell your tenant how they should give their notice." Any term in the tenancy agreement that dictates the form of the notice, such as a set template, a signed original or your agent's portal, has no effect.

What you can do is make it easy: give the tenant your postal address for notices (it has to be in the written statement anyway) and an email address, and reply to confirm the end date.

Can a tenant leave early or withdraw their notice?

• Leaving early. You and the tenant can agree a shorter notice period, or an earlier end date, but the agreement must be in writing.
• Withdrawing a notice. A tenant can withdraw their notice only if you agree in writing. You don't have to agree, for example if you have already found a new tenant.

Watch out: never agree an end date only by phone or in person. Ending a tenancy orally, or requiring it to be ended orally, is a breach of the Housing Act 1988 that can lead to a civil penalty of up to £7,000.

What happens with joint tenants?

Joint tenancies have their own rules:

• One tenant can end it for all. GOV.UK says one joint tenant "will usually be able to end the joint tenancy without the agreement of the other tenants". One tenant's notice doesn't need the others' signatures.
• Shorter notice needs everyone. An agreed shorter notice period is only valid if it was made between you and all the tenants.
• Withdrawal needs everyone. Withdrawing a notice needs you and all the tenants to agree.
• Some want to stay. You can grant the remaining tenants a new tenancy. That is a new tenancy, so they need a written statement of terms before it is agreed.

All joint tenants are responsible for the rent until the tenancy ends. For possession notices on joint tenancies, see Section 8 notices and joint tenants.

What about rent during and after the notice?

Rent is payable as normal during the notice period. When the tenancy ends, you must repay any rent the tenant paid for days after the end date. If the rent day and the end date don't line up, work out the overpaid days and refund them.

Arrears built up during the notice period can still be recovered after the tenant leaves. See recovering arrears from a former tenant.

What if the tenant leaves without giving notice?

There is no statutory abandonment procedure. The Act repealed one that never came into force. Under the general law, the tenancy continues until there is a valid tenant's notice, a surrender that you accept, or a possession order carried out by enforcement officers.

If you change the locks or re-let without one of those, you risk the offence of unlawful eviction and a civil penalty of up to £40,000. Read our guides to a tenant who has abandoned the property and to illegal eviction before you act.

What landlords can't do

• Serve your own notice to quit. A landlord's notice to quit has no effect, and serving one can lead to a £7,000 penalty. You need a Section 8 notice and a ground.
• Require more than 2 months' notice from the tenant.
• Insist on a particular form or method for the tenant's notice.
• Charge rent for days after the tenancy has ended.

What to do next

Once you have a valid end date, plan the re-let. Your advert must show one fixed rent under the rental bidding ban, and the new tenant needs a written statement of terms before the tenancy is agreed. For the other changes the Act made, see the Renters' Rights Act hub.