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Tenant given notice? A dated re-let plan and checklist for landlords
For landlords in England who manage their own home and whose tenant has given notice. Enter the move-out date, the rent and your certificate dates to get a dated list of what to do and when, what each empty week costs, and when council tax passes to you. Free, no sign-up, nothing stored.
Re-let planner
Your tenant has given notice: what to do, and when
Since the Renters' Rights Act took effect, a tenant ends the tenancy by giving two months' notice. That is your window to agree the check-out, get the certificates in date, market the home and reference the next tenant. Every line below sits on a date worked out from what you type.
If you served notice to sell the home or to move in yourself (grounds 1A and 1), the law bars you from marketing or re-letting it for 12 months. Pick that reason first and the plan changes.
In order
The landlord moving-out and re-let checklist
The steps the planner dates, from the day your tenant gives notice to the day the next one moves in.
- Confirm the end date in writing and agree a check-out time; ask for a forwarding address for the deposit.
- Check the certificate dates. Gas safety, the electrical report and the EPC must be in date before the next tenancy, and the EPC rated E or above before you market.
- Start marketing about six weeks before the move-out, with 24 hours' written notice for every viewing.
- Reference the new tenant and complete a Right to Rent check for every adult.
- Agree the check-out a week before: time, meter readings, where the keys go.
- Check-out day: inspect against the inventory with photos, take readings, collect every key. The tick-box move-out checklist is on the tools page.
- Council tax passes to you from the day after the tenancy ends.
- Return the deposit within 10 days of agreeing the amount.
- Register on the landlord database once your region's window opens.
- New tenant moves in: written statement of terms, deposit protected within 30 days, copies of the gas record, electrical report and EPC.
What the plan assumes
The rules behind the dates
- A tenant gives at least two months' notice. You can agree a sooner date between you, in writing.
- Marketing starts six weeks before the move-out. Give your tenant at least 24 hours' written notice of a viewing, at a reasonable time; they can say no.
- Gas safety every 12 months, an electrical report every five years, an EPC every ten years and rated E or above before you market. A new tenant gets copies before moving in.
- The deposit goes back within 10 days of agreeing the amount. Deductions need evidence, and the scheme's free service decides a dispute.
- Council tax is yours from the day after the tenancy ends. The plan uses each council's own rule for an empty, unfurnished home.
- From your region's window, the home and you both need an entry on England's landlord database before a new tenancy. Our database checker has the dates.
Let SYND do the re-let
The one moment an agent earns its fee
Our tenant find is £799, paid once and only when your tenant moves in: photos, advertising, accompanied viewings, referencing, Right to Rent checks, the tenancy agreement, deposit registration and the written statement of terms. A check-out report against the inventory is £150.
Prefer not to do the next tenancy yourself? Full management is 12% of the monthly rent, charged only on rent actually paid. A £400 upgrade credit applies when a tenant find landlord moves to full management within three months.
Sign-up credits (one per landlord): the £400 upgrade credit, the £49 Renters' Rights credit and the £99 Database ready credit do not stack. Each landlord gets one sign-up credit, and the largest one that applies is used. A credit never takes a month's fee below £0 and is never paid as cash.
SYND Properties is a trading name of SYND LTD, a member of Property Redress (no. PRS044043). No VAT is charged because SYND LTD is not VAT registered. Full fees on our fees page.
Questions
When a tenant leaves, answered
My tenant has given notice. What should I do first?
Reply in writing to confirm the last day and a check-out time, and ask for a forwarding address for the deposit. Then check when your gas safety record, electrical report and EPC expire, decide whether to market the home yourself or use a tenant find, and book viewings with your tenant's agreement. The planner above puts each step on a date worked out from the move-out day.
How much notice does a tenant have to give?
Since 1 May 2026 every private tenancy in England is periodic, and a tenant ends it by giving at least two months' notice in writing. A landlord and tenant can agree a sooner date between them. Put the agreed date in writing so the deposit, the keys and the final rent all work from the same day.
Can I show new tenants round before my tenant leaves?
Only with your tenant's agreement. Give at least 24 hours' written notice, keep viewings to reasonable times, and accept a no. A clause in the agreement does not let you enter without consent. Most tenants agree to a few fixed viewing slots when asked politely and early.
When do I have to return the deposit?
Within 10 days of agreeing the amount with your tenant. Anything you want to deduct needs evidence against the inventory, allowing for fair wear and tear, and your deposit scheme offers a free dispute service if you cannot agree.
Does a landlord pay council tax on an empty rental property?
Yes, from the day after the tenancy ends. Harlow gives a full discount for up to three months on an empty, unfurnished home if you apply, then charges in full; Chelmsford charges in full from the start. Both add a premium once a home has been empty for a year. Elsewhere, your council decides.
Can I re-let after serving notice to sell (ground 1A) or to move in (ground 1)?
No. If you used ground 1A (selling) or ground 1 (you or close family moving in), you cannot market or re-let the home for 12 months. The period normally runs from the day you served notice and ends 12 months after the date in the notice. Breaking it is an offence, with a civil penalty from the council and a possible rent repayment order. The only exception is a shared owner who can show a genuine attempt to sell. Our guide to selling a rented home covers the sale itself.
What must a new tenant get before moving in?
A written statement of the tenancy terms and the government's information sheet, the gas safety record if the home has gas, the electrical report, the EPC, and the deposit protected with the prescribed information within 30 days. Every adult needs a Right to Rent check before the tenancy starts, and the deposit and the rent in advance are capped: our deposit checker has the figures.
Facts on this page checked on 12 October 2026 against the GOV.UK guide to the Renters' Rights Act, Shelter's guide to the possession grounds, GOV.UK on tenancy deposits, and the Harlow and Chelmsford council tax pages. England only. General information, not legal advice.