What do I do if my tenant wants to move out?

If your tenant has told you they want to move out of your rental, it might not be that simple. There are a couple of steps you should take to ensure you're covered:

Ask for written notice (through Keyhook)

As a landlord, you shouldn't take any actions towards ending a tenancy until you have a request in writing. 

Any notice to end a tenancy must:

Be in writing

Give the address of the tenancy

Give the date when the tenancy is to end

Be signed by the person giving notice

If the notice doesn't contain these four things, it may be invalid.

Asking for written notice via Keyhook means the communications between you and your tenant will be recorded by a third party and stored securely.

Read your lease

Establish what type of tenancy agreement you have with your tenant--fixed term or periodic.

Your lease may also contain clauses concerning lease-breaks. It's good to revisit your lease to refresh yourself on the terms that were agreed to upon signing.

Fixed-Term Tenancy

Under the Residential Tenancies Act, a fixed-term tenancy cannot be ended early by either the landlord or the tenant unless both parties agree.

There are two popular options available for ending a should you want to pursue them: Subletting or Assigning a Tenancy.

Periodic Tenancy

A tenant must give at least 28 days' notice to end to end a periodic tenancy, unless a landlord agrees to a shorter time. If there are multiple tenants named on the tenancy agreement, and one of the tenants gives the landlord written notice, this ends the tenancy for all the tenants.