Lodger agreement help

Gem0110

I have been living in a room with a live in landlord for 5 years. I originally had a one year agreement that then became rolling. The landlord put the rent up a year ago and I needed to claim more so had to sign another contract with a fixed term of two years so still have one year to go. It has an early termination notice of one month. I have been offered a new place which is near to my daughter and family/friends. At the moment I live 20 miles away from them and really struggle with my mental health so feel very isolated and am in poor physical health so find the travel very hard. I am so unhappy and want to change it. I need to be sure before I try to do this. I need to know if I can leave and not have to pay the rent for the year that is left? I tried to get help from my local cab but the person was awful and said they can’t help with tenancy queries. They said to call shelter but it says on their site you can only call the helpline if you’re homeless. My landlord used rocketlawyer to do my tenancy so I looked on there and they had two parts about early termination and they say opposing things. Will put them up. Please if anyone can give me advice, am at my wits end. Thankyou

Kimmy87

I'm no expert, but if your tenancy has an early termination notice of one month clause, then you shouldn't be liable for the whole remaining rent, just the time period of the termination notice.

MW123

@Gem0110

It’s impossible to give specific advice about your rights and responsibilities without seeing the actual agreement, as there could be other clauses that affect the situation. Since your landlord used a DIY online contract, this tells me they might not be fully aware of all the rights and obligations it entails, as DIY contracts can sometimes be difficult to navigate.

If I were you, I’d recommend having an honest conversation with your landlord. Depending on how well you get on, you can let them know you plan to move out. This will give them a chance to advertise the room and find someone to take your place. If they find a new tenant, your responsibility for paying rent should end once the new person moves in.

Another option is for both you and the landlord to agree to end the agreement early. This is called a mutual surrender. Once this is agreed, both of you are free from the contract. If you come to this agreement, make sure you get it in writing and keep a copy for yourself.

By talking things through openly, you can make the process clearer for both of you. DIY contracts can be confusing, so being upfront and offering solutions can help you and your landlord reach a fair agreement. Since you’ve lived there for five years, it seems like your landlord isn’t a bad person, so hopefully, you can work things out together. Wishing you all the best!