Leaving Early: Need Advise

[pal_1982]

Hi,

 

I took a property on rent with a shorthold tenany on 2nd-Aug-2007, the tenancy period was till 01-Feb-2008. After the tenancy got completed it was renewed again for another six month till 01-Aug-2008.

Now after completetion of the second tenancy (1-Feb-08 till 1-Aug-08) agent has sent me the tenancy aggreement to renew it again. I didn't signed the new agreement as i was not fully sure of my stay. But i have asked the agent if the tenancy can be extended for 3 months rather than 6 months due to un-certainity of my stay. They had replied back saying that i need to take tenancy for a minimum of six month.

 

During all this period the tenancy had expired and i was staying in the property which means the periodic tenancy has started. And agent has stated in an e-mail to me that unless i sign and send back the agreement to them my tenancy could be in jeopardy. After couple of weeks i informed them that i would not be staying and would like to leave the property. To which they had replied back saying that i would need to pay ₤200 for early lease breakage and rent until they find a new tenant.

This was back in the month of august. After which i left the property at the end of august and moved to another country. And i'm now paying them the rent for the property since than even though i have not been staying there.

What i wanted to know if i agreed on taking the property during the period of my tenancy for the next six month and realized it towards the end of my tenancy that i would not be able to, am i still bounded by the terms of tenancy, Also i have not signed the tenancy agreement.

I have paid tenant ₤200 for lease breakage (which they call as advertising fee) and yet they haven't found any new tenant for the property and i'm not sure they are making any effort in finding a new tenant.

what is the way out for me.

[Steve__M]

From what you say, you did not sign the contract and therefore are indeed in a statutary periodic tenancy.

 

You are required to give 1 full rental month's notice to end it. This would not open you to any "lease breakage" fees.

 

So if you gave them notice in the middle of August your tenancy would end at the end of September.

 

You could write back and demand this money back. If you are in another country and have no assets in this country, they will have a lot of difficulty suing you.