End a tenancy and start the next one

When a tenancy ends, record the day on the tenancy, then add the next one. The ended tenancy keeps its evidence file, under Earlier tenancies on the property’s page. The app records the date you give, and doesn’t decide whether or when a tenancy has ended.

Go through End of tenancy

End of tenancy takes one tenancy through seven steps: How it’s ending, The last day, Final rent, Check-out visit, Deposit, Close their page and Keep the records. Each opens what’s already there and ticks itself from your records.

1. On People, tap the tenant, then End of tenancy. Or tap End This Tenancy in the property’s Tenancy area, or End of Tenancy beside an earlier tenancy.
2. Open a step and fill it in, or use its button, such as Open Rent Account.
3. If a step doesn’t apply, tap Skip This Step.

Where a tenant’s message may be giving notice, Start End of Tenancy opens it with the message’s day filled in, for you to check. The app doesn’t decide whether it is a valid notice: that depends on your tenancy agreement and the law. A tenant’s notice must be at least two months, or a shorter period you agreed in writing (with all of them, for joint tenants), and end the tenancy on a day rent is due or the day before.

Deposit records what you returned to the tenant, and when. If your tenant applies to the county court and it finds the deposit wasn’t protected, or the prescribed information wasn’t given, within the 30 days, it must order you to pay them between one and three times the deposit.

Record the end date

1. Open the property from Properties, then open Tenancy.
2. Tap Edit Tenancy.
3. Under If it has ended, enter Tenancy ended on.
4. Tap Save Changes.

The tenancy then shows Ends with the date, and its evidence file records it. Until that date has passed, you can change it, or take it off if the tenancy carries on, the same way: each change goes into the evidence file too. Once it has passed, the tenancy moves to Earlier tenancies and can’t be changed in the app. A date that has already passed moves it there as soon as you save. The tenant’s page works until 14 days after the tenancy ends.

Add the next tenancy

Once the end date has passed, Tenancy says No current tenancy recorded.

1. On the property’s page, open Tenancy and tap Add Tenancy.
2. Fill in the new tenant, the rent and the deposit, as in Add a tenancy and its tenant.
3. Tap Add Tenancy.

The new tenancy has its own rent dates, deposit dates and evidence file. Record its deposit as in Record the deposit and the prescribed information.

To add the next tenancy before this one ends, tap Add Next Tenancy in Tenancy: see Add a tenancy and its tenant.

Find an earlier tenancy’s evidence file

1. On the property’s page, open Tenancy.
2. Under Earlier tenancies, find the tenant’s name and dates, and tap Open Evidence File.

Every change the app recorded for that tenancy is there, in order. It’s your own record, not proof. To keep a copy, use Print Evidence File, or see Download everything, or delete your account.

This article doesn’t cover how a tenancy is brought to an end. For that, ask a solicitor or Citizens Advice.

Try it in the sample account