Landlords please - viewings for next tenant after notice?

[Sofachoices]

Have handed in our notice on our current rental. Landlord is awful.

Our notice period takes us 5 days into the next calendar month. I have asked for a bill to be issued through the online payment system for that period and i will pay it in advance. I’m being told that I have to pay the full months rent on the 1st as normal by direct debit and then any rent overpayment will be refunded back to me. Is this correct?

Is anyone able to tell me what access I should be expected to allow for potential next tenants to view the property during my notice period?

First time renting a property and I stupidly didn’t take copies of my tenancy documents off the online portal and they have disappeared now so I can’t see the terms etc.

Legally you only have to pay rent until the end of the notice period (provided you've vacated by then, obviously). If they won't bill you for five days, cancel the direct debit and tell them they can invoice you. If they don't like that, what are they going to do? Evict you?

You don't need to allow any access to prospective future tenants or viewings, you have the right to quiet enjoyment of the property up until the end of the notice period and they cannot force you to allow access.

I agree with the second paragraph, but not the first. Notice should be given to coincide with rental periods, so if your rental period is the 5th to the 4th, you can't give notice to expire on the 1st for example.

However it has been a long time since I've dealt with anything like this so happy to be corrected

@FarmerRefuted Thank you, that’s what I thought but I wasn’t 100% sure.

@Allthegoodnamesaregoneffs Ohh, I wasn’t aware of that. My rent is paid on the 1st of the month for the calendar month. I will be moving out during the first week of October so technically I should have waited and handed in notice at the end of sept, and paid rent right through October?

Generally you have to give1 month notice on your billing date. If your tenancy agreement is the same as ours they could technically charge you for the whole month.

@YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake That’s fair enough. I don’t remember reading anything about that in the tenancy agreement (we’ve only been here a few months!) - I’m sure it just said 28 days notice but I have no issue paying the full month if thats what if required.
I have no interest in messing anyone around or not paying what is due etc, I just can’t deal with this landlord any longer and would like to pay what is due, cut all ties and leave her to it 😬

Hi OP. I have 2 rentals, shortly to be 1, and if the tenant is not moving out at the end of the rental payment period then yes we do expect them to pay for the next rental period in full and then refund them the remaining days once keys have been returned.

In relation to viewings I accept that my rental is someone's home so never ask them to accommodate viewings. We normally do the check out within 24 hours of the keys being returned, then have the place cleaned and then put back on the market, although it would depend what your agreement says, your landlord may expect you to accommodate viewings in the notice period unfortunately.

@Sooveritallnow Thank you. That’s fine 😊 as I said, unfortunately this landlord is not great so I’m unsure what is normal and what is her. I have asked for the tenancy documents to be put back on the online portal or be emailed to me so that I can see what our agreement actually says with regards to viewings

Ha good luck in getting a refund. I have never known a landlord to do that. Viewings are on your landlords terms and I would get a camera for when at work as they will just show people round whilst you are at work.

If they do enter the property while you're out then change the locks, it's very simple to swap out the barrels and then just put the originals back before you leave. You would also be within your rights to report them to the police for trespassing as they have no right of entry except in very specific circumstances and giving viewings is not one of those circumstances.

Your landlord has agreed your tenancy ends on the 5th therefore your rent liability ends on the 5th and they should provide you will a pro-rata'd rent amount for that month. I wouldn't pay them a whole month and rely on them refunding it. I would cancel the direct debit and ask them to invoice you for five days which you can either pay in advance or pay upon return of the keys, their choice.

@MrsPear Oh I don’t doubt that she’ll let herself in 🙄 she’s been no end of trouble unfortunately!

@FarmerRefuted Unfortunately the landlord letting herself in has already been in issue - just one of the many reasons why we’re leaving.
That is exactly what I have done with the rent - I’ve written it into my notice that I would like to be billed for that period and am happy to pay it in advance.