Can you change the notice period once you have accepted it

Landlord Discussion
1

My old pre RRA tenancy agreement was one months notice which my tenant gave me in writing which i accepted not realising that the notice period should have been 2 months. As i accepted the 1 month am i now legally bound by this? as it is going to leave me with effectively a 2-3 month or more void

2

Acceot it. You have no choice. You cant ‘unaccept’ a valid 1 month notice.

The one month notice from pre -RRA tenancy agreement is still the notice required if that was what was written in the TA. It only became 2 months from 1 May under RRA if nothing was specified in the TA.

See the guidance - extract below

Good luck

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If your tenant wants to end their tenancy

You cannot ask your tenant to give more than 2 months’ notice.

If there is already a notice period in the tenancy agreement, your tenant may be able to give less notice than this.

How much notice your tenant needs to give depends on if before 1 May 2026 the tenancy was:

  • a rolling ‘periodic’ tenancy from the start of the tenancy
  • a fixed term tenancy with an end date on or after 1 May 2026
  • a fixed term tenancy that ended before 1 May 2026

If the tenancy was a rolling ‘periodic’ tenancy from the start of the tenancy

If the tenancy agreement states that it is a rolling tenancy from the start, then the notice period in the tenancy agreement still applies.

For example, if the tenancy agreement says your tenant only need to give one months’ notice, they do not need to give more.

If your tenant had a fixed term tenancy with an end date on or after 1 May 2026

The notice period in the tenancy agreement still applies.

For example, if the tenancy agreement says your tenant only need to give one months’ notice, they do not need to give more.

If your tenant had a fixed term tenancy and the end date was before 1 May 2026

If the tenancy agreement has rules in it about what would happen once the fixed term ended, the notice period in the tenancy agreement usually still applies.

For example, if the tenancy agreement states that when the fixed term ends it automatically turns into a rolling tenancy, the notice period still applies.

If the tenancy agreement does not say what happens after the fixed term ends

The notice period in the tenancy agreement no longer applies. Your tenant needs to end the tenancy using the process for assured periodic tenancies.

Other written agreements

If you made a written agreement with your tenant in a different way, for example by email or text, that may still apply.