Golaz, it’s not about feeling ‘indebted’.
It doesn’t matter that you don’t know her very much, nor she know you really. It’s just about knowing what things to let go, in the context of a good rental relationship. It’s about seeing that going beyond the minimum of what the law says someone is entitled to, is good human and actually business behaviour. But this clearly doesn’t come naturally to you, as your instinct is to do the minimum and that you’d only put yourself our or cut some slack for people you know well.
The experienced LLs on here can see the nuances in situations and almost universally say they wouldn’t be charging beyond exit, even if they could and most, only up to the last rental date and would let the last couple of days go. These are experienced and profitable LLs. They aren’t people who are taken for mugs, but they can see that you take the bigger rental picture when making some of these decisions. They know from experience, that a tenant who goes easily and leaves the property clean when being served notice, isn’t something to be assumed and taken complacently, but nurtured through a bit of flexibility and probably generosity. These LLs know THEY benefit from behaving like this.
Tenant A is told they will need to pay rent up to the end of the notice period LL gave them, even if they move out sooner. Later LL looks into it more and realises that’s not right and grudgingly tells tenant they will pay until keys returned. Tenant feels a bit aggrieved about the stress she felt at thought of paying an extra 2 weeks or mo this rent when already having had to start paying rent on new place to secure it. This is felt strongly because the tenant had always paid rent on time and been Co-operative about finding somewhere to move to.Consequently, leaves lots of rubbish behind, some broken furniture and doesn’t clean the property. Only returns one set of keys and no forwarding address. Tenant and LL both feel pretty annoyed by whole thing.
Tenant B has received the same notice, but found a property that they can go to sooner. LL thanks them for their flexibility and tells them to pay their rent until the date they move out, but they will then refund them for the 5 days after the last rent date. Tenant feels pleased to know they will get a few quid back and feels they’ve been treated generously after they have been helpful to the LL. Consequently, actually moves out 2 days earlier than they said they would and leaves the place pristine, including having done a through tidy up in the garden. Tenant and LL both feel fairly positive about the whole thing, even with S21 being served.
Treating people with respect and being a bit flexible in the context of having received tens of thousands in rent, is usually good business sense, as well as being the right way to treat people, in terms of treating others as you’d like to be treated yourself. Hey ho!