How much notice do I have to give my landlord?

Tenants give notice; landlords must go to court. Those are different processes with different rules, and it is worth being clear which one you are in.

Giving notice as a tenant

On a monthly periodic tenancy the minimum is one month’s notice, or the longer period your tenancy agreement specifies. Put it in writing — email or letter — and keep proof of sending, because a verbal notice is very hard to enforce and disputes about whether notice was given usually turn on evidence rather than memory. Say clearly when the tenancy will end and confirm the arrangements for keys and the final inspection.

Inside a fixed term, you cannot simply give notice. Your options are:

• A break clause, if your agreement has one. Follow it to the letter — the right notice period, in the right form, to the right address. Even a day late can invalidate the break, leaving you liable for the rest of the term.
• A surrender agreed with the landlord, ideally recorded in writing, including whether any rent is still due.
• A serious breach by the landlord entitling you to treat the tenancy as ended — take advice before relying on this.

Walking away without one of those routes does not end your liability: rent can continue to accrue until the term ends or a replacement tenant is found.

When your landlord gives notice

Since 1 May 2026, when the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 abolished Section 21, a landlord must serve a Section 8 notice citing a statutory ground, and notice periods vary with the ground relied on.

Whatever the notice says, it is not an eviction order. You do not have to leave on the date stated: your landlord must obtain a possession order from the county court and then a bailiff’s warrant. Leaving early can also count against you — you may lose entitlements or be treated as having made yourself intentionally homeless, so get advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice before you go.

There is no seasonal ban on evictions in England, though courts retain their usual discretion. And if a landlord skips the process entirely by changing the locks, that is illegal eviction under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 — a criminal offence. Call the police and your council’s housing team immediately.