Moving Out of a Rental Checklist for England

Notice and Rent

Private tenancies agreed in England from 1 May 2026 are rolling, and you end one by giving two months' notice in writing, on the day the rent is due or the day before. Two points catch people out. You keep paying rent during the notice period, right up to the day the tenancy ends. And if you change your mind after giving notice, you can only stay if your landlord agrees in writing.

The government's old "How to rent" guide was withdrawn on 1 May 2026. The current guidance is GOV.UK's guide to assured periodic tenancies for tenants.

What Your Landlord Can Charge When You Leave

The government's guidance on tenancy fees, published on 1 May 2026, sets out what can and cannot be charged. If you leave without giving the right notice, the charge cannot be more than the rent the landlord would have received had you given the right amount of notice. If you lose a key, the landlord can recover the cost of replacing it, but must give you written evidence that the cost is reasonable.

Late rent has limits too. A fee can only be charged once rent is at least two weeks overdue, and the maximum rate is 3% above the Bank of England's base rate, applied only to the overdue amount. Anything outside those rules can be challenged before it comes out of your deposit.

Getting Your Deposit Back

Your deposit should be protected in one of three government-backed schemes: the Deposit Protection Service, mydeposits or the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. Once you and your landlord agree how much you will get back, it must be returned within 10 days.

If you cannot agree, the scheme offers a free dispute resolution service. Using it is optional and both of you have to agree to it, but if you do, the decision on the deposit is final, so the evidence matters. The checklist below is the evidence to collect.

• ✓

  Photograph every room, the inside of the oven and fridge, and any marks, on the last day.

• ✓

  Take meter readings, with photos, and send them to the suppliers.

• ✓

  Return every key you were given, and get a receipt or a message confirming it.

• ✓

  Compare the home with the check-in inventory, room by room.

• ✓

  Send your forwarding address to the landlord in writing.

Clearing the Last Things

Anything left behind is something a landlord may charge to clear. Manchester City Council offers one free bulky collection a year of up to three items, but it needs booking ahead and the items have to be on the pavement by 7am on the day, which may not fit the last day of a tenancy.

If the timing is tight, a clearance in the van on moving day takes the last things away at the same time as the move. If there is a wardrobe or a bed frame that has to come apart to get out, we can take it apart as part of the same job, so the room is empty when the landlord walks in.