£50 fee when replacing tenant

I am aware of the £50 fee that landlords can charge when there is a change in contract - in this case I have a replacement tenant. Does this have to be written in the contract for it to stand?

Hi, when was your tenancy created?

Hi so I’m hoping to get some help. I’m having to leave my contract early and have found a replacement tenant (for a shorter period of time). My landlord however is telling me that I am still liable for the rent after they leave, until the end of my contract. Surely if another person is replacing my contract, I am no longer in that contract.

You will be liable to pay rent for the duration of any agreement you are party to as a tenant. You can try to end the tenancy by serving notice, but if you are still within the initial fixed term, then this won’t be possible and you’d need the agreement of all parties to surrender the tenancy by mutual consent.

Your next option would be to find a new tenant to replace you, and then add them to the tenancy by deed of assignemnt, and to remove yourself from your obligations via the same route.

If there’s a situation where you move out and stop paying rent, and another tenant moves in, signs a tenancy agreement for the same property (or room) and pays rent, then this could be taken as an implied surrender of the tenancy, in which case you may not be understood to have any further obligations as a tenant.

It sounds like what you’re proposing is essentially to sublet to a junior tenant for part of the term of your tenancy. In that case, yes, you would usually still remain liable to pay the rent after your subletting-tenant moves out, until the end of your tenancy with the landlord.

Let me know when your tenancy was created and I can inform you about the £50 fee :slight_smile:

Sam