Can I enter property when I think tenant has vacated it?

Hi,
my tenant sent me a WhatsApp message to let me know he would vacate the property in about a months time (he gave me a specific date). He hasn’t paid the last month’s rent and has not answered any of my calls or messages trying to set a time to meet and collect the keys. His restaurant is actually closed and noone answers when I knock in the apartment and we don’t see lights.
Can I enter the apartment on the date he said he would vacate it? I wonder if I need to serve Section 8.

Hi Elena,

It sounds like this could be a case of implied surrender, which is very tricky!

We’ve written a guide to how it works here:

https://blog.openrent.co.uk/surrendering-tenancy-agreement-mutual-consent/

I hope that will answer some of your questions.

Sam