By the Beacon Living Group team · Updated 25 October 2026 · 9 min read
Your tenant handed in their notice. For most landlords, the first reaction is surprise, and the second is a vague awareness that several things need to happen and a less clear awareness of what those things actually are, in what order and by when.
This guide walks through the full checklist: checking the notice is legally sound, what your obligations are while the tenant is still in, how to handle the end-of-tenancy inspection and deposit, and what the property does next. It covers England in 2026, after the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026.
Before you act on the date in the notice, confirm the notice is actually valid. A defective notice does not end the tenancy when you think it does, which can create real problems if you have committed to dates for new tenants, works or a management agreement.
Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, all assured periodic tenancies in England require the tenant to give at least two months' written notice. The notice must end on the last day of a rental period, not just any date two months away. So if the tenancy runs month to month and the rental period starts on the 1st, the notice must end on the last day of a month at least two months after it was given. A notice dated 12 October that names 30 November as the end date is defective: it gives only 49 days and does not land on a period end.
Check three things on the notice you received:
If the notice fails any of these checks, seek advice from a letting agent, solicitor or your landlord association before treating the tenancy as ended. The tenant may still move out voluntarily on the date they intended, in which case you can agree a surrender in writing. But if they stay, you may find you did not have a valid notice and need to start the process again.
Once you are satisfied the notice is valid, send a brief written acknowledgement confirming the date you received it and the date the tenancy will end. Keep a copy.
The tenancy is still legally running until the end date. The tenant retains all the same rights they had before they gave notice. You retain all the same obligations.
Rent. Rent is payable up to and including the last day of the tenancy, not from the date the tenant physically vacates. If a tenant moves out two weeks early, rent is still owed for the remaining two weeks unless you agree otherwise in writing.
Repairs. You remain responsible for urgent repairs while the notice period runs. A broken boiler in week three of a six-week notice period is not something you can defer to the next tenancy. If you fail to carry out a required repair, the tenant can take it out of their rent or pursue a claim even after they have left.
Viewings. You can show the property to prospective tenants or a letting agent during the notice period, but you must give the current tenant at least 24 hours' written notice before any visit and viewings must be at a reasonable time. You cannot demand access whenever you choose. Most tenants are cooperative if you give adequate notice and keep visits brief and predictable.
HMO licences and certificates. Ensure the property's gas safety certificate, electrical installation condition report and any HMO licence remain valid through the end of the tenancy. Gaps in these during the notice period are technically a breach of your obligations even if the property will shortly be empty.
The check-out inspection is the most important single event in the notice period. Carry it out on the last day, or arrange it for as close to when the tenant hands back the keys as possible. Do it with the tenant present if at all possible: any issues identified on the spot can be discussed and agreed immediately, rather than turning into a deposit dispute three weeks later.
What to check. Work through the original check-in inventory room by room. Note every item and its condition, photograph each discrepancy with a timestamp, record meter readings, test appliances and make sure you get all sets of keys back. The benchmark is the property's condition at the start of the tenancy adjusted for fair wear and tear over the length of the tenancy. A scuffed skirting board after a three-year tenancy is fair wear and tear. A burned worktop is damage.
Deposit deductions. If you intend to make deductions, notify the tenant in writing within 10 days of the tenancy ending, with an itemised list and evidence. You can only retain amounts that are justified, evidenced and proportionate to the actual cost of remedying the issue. Disputes go to the adjudication service of whichever deposit protection scheme holds the deposit: the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits or the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. An adjudicator can override a landlord's claim if it is not evidenced.
Return the balance promptly. The undisputed portion of the deposit must be returned within 10 days of reaching agreement. Holding onto it while you "sort things out" is not a legal position and exposes you to a claim for up to three times the deposit amount.
How much time you have before the property empties largely determines which decisions are urgent and which can wait. Enter the date the tenancy ends below and the planner will highlight the relevant section, or read all four directly.
Every day the property stands empty is rent you will not recover. Treat this as urgent. If you plan to re-let conventionally, get a letting agent's viewings booked this week, not once repairs are done. If a fixed monthly rent with no void risk sounds more sensible than another round of viewings and referencing, request a guaranteed rent or SA management assessment now: an empty property with no tenancy to work around is the fastest scenario to get a lease or management agreement in place. Either way, act this week.
You still have enough time to move properly if you start today. For a conventional re-let, get the property listed and viewings arranged now, before it empties. For a guaranteed rent or management route, request an assessment immediately: Beacon Living Group can typically return a figure within 48 hours, which means a decision is possible before the current tenant has even left. Do not wait until the keys are back to start the process.
You have genuine choice here, which is the best position to be in. Use this window to compare properly: get a realistic market appraisal from a letting agent so you know what conventional re-letting would actually pay month to month, and at the same time get a fixed guaranteed rent or management fee figure from Beacon Living Group. Comparing two real numbers is straightforward. Comparing a real number against a vague expectation is where landlords make expensive decisions. Both figures are free to get.
Nothing needs deciding today, but the runway is useful. Book any repair or redecoration work now, while the current tenant is still in and you can arrange access. Commission the market appraisal and the guaranteed rent figure so both numbers are in hand well before you need either. Landlords who use this window to do the research tend to make calmer decisions and shorter voids than those who start planning on the day the keys land on the doormat.
Once the tenancy ends, you have three realistic routes. They are not mutually exclusive: some landlords use the gap for works before choosing between the first two.
Option 1: re-advertise and re-let conventionally. The familiar path. List the property through a letting agent or yourself, run viewings, reference your preferred tenant, sign a new tenancy and accept the gap between the old tenant leaving and the new one moving in. Done well, this works. Done badly, or in a slow season, the gap can stretch to two months or more before any rent starts again. The full cost of a conventional void is higher than most landlords expect once rent, council tax, utility standing charges, letting fees and the time cost of viewings are added together. Our void cost guide works through the numbers in detail.
Option 2: Airbnb management or guaranteed rent. Beacon Living Group takes over the property and runs it as serviced accommodation. Under a management arrangement, you keep the income the property earns and pay a management fee. Under a guaranteed rent lease, Beacon Living Group pays you a fixed monthly amount regardless of occupancy, covers bills during the lease and handles everything from maintenance to guest management. Both options mean you receive income from day one rather than waiting for a new tenancy to begin. An assessment is free and usually back within 48 hours.
Option 3: use the gap for deferred work. If a short void is inevitable regardless, the empty weeks are also the only time you can decorate, replace flooring or address the maintenance item that has been on the list for two years without disturbing a paying tenant. This does not remove the void cost, but it prevents the void being pure loss. Keep in mind that the re-let or management decision still needs to be made: this option is best stacked alongside one of the first two rather than treated as a standalone plan.
The most common mistake Manchester landlords make in this situation is treating the void as a period they just need to wait out. A month of empty rent on a typical Manchester two-bedroom is not the only cost:
After one year of being empty and unfurnished, Manchester City Council charges a 100% council tax premium, doubling the bill. This is relatively rare in practice, but it adds context to how quickly an unmoved situation compounds.
Check that the notice is in writing, ends on the last day of a rental period and gives at least two months from the date it was received. If it is valid, acknowledge receipt in writing and book the end-of-tenancy inspection. If it is defective, seek advice before treating the tenancy as ended.
Since the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026, a tenant in England on an assured periodic tenancy must give at least two months' written notice ending on the last day of a rental period. Some older tenancies preserved a shorter contractual notice period. Check the actual notice you received rather than assuming.
A tenant can withdraw their notice, but only with the landlord's written agreement. You are not obliged to accept a withdrawal, especially if you have already entered commitments based on the vacancy. Any agreed retraction should be confirmed in writing by both parties.
You must return the undisputed portion within 10 days of agreeing on deductions. For any amounts you want to withhold, raise a claim through the deposit protection scheme with evidence. You cannot simply retain the deposit without using the scheme. Deductions must be evidenced by a check-out report and must be proportionate to the actual cost of remedying the issue.
Yes, but you must give at least 24 hours' written notice before any visit and viewings must be at a reasonable time. The tenant's right to quiet enjoyment remains in force until the tenancy ends. Keep to a schedule agreed with the tenant where possible.
No. An empty property is often the simplest case to assess, since there is no existing tenancy to work around. Beacon Living Group can typically return a figure within 48 hours of receiving the property details. Every extra week the property earns nothing is the cost of waiting.
Work through the original check-in inventory room by room. Photograph every discrepancy with a timestamp, record meter readings, test all appliances and collect all keys. Do it with the tenant present where possible so disagreements can be resolved on the spot rather than becoming a deposit dispute later.
Even when everything goes smoothly, cleaning, repair work, EPC and gas checks, photography, listing, viewings and referencing commonly add up to three to five weeks. Properties priced ambitiously or needing work can sit empty for two to three months. Manchester City Council charges full council tax once the initial exemption period ends, adding to the cost of a slow re-let.
About Beacon Living Group. Beacon Living Group manages Manchester properties as hotel-grade serviced accommodation. Landlords keep the income their property earns and pay a management fee, or opt for a guaranteed rent lease with a fixed monthly payment, no voids and bills covered. Beacon Living Group Ltd is registered in England and Wales, company no. 17076795, at 703 Stockport Road, Manchester M12 4QN.
Free assessment, usually back within 48 hours. No obligation. See what the property earns under management compared with a conventional re-let.
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