Deed of surrender or email advising leaving date?

Hi Marie

You do need to tread very carefully. There is no absolute way of guaranteeing that the tenants will leave.

If you buy the property in April and the tenants are still there, then you are taking to them, warts and all. You must make sure that the current landlord has done all necessary compliance because you wil be stepping into their shoes.

You should agree a price that reflects the risk you are taking.

Hold back 20% of the sale price until tenants are gone and be ready for a possible shock of the empty condition.

Get the landlord to get a deed of surrender and condition if sale that they manage

Ask for a copy of all docs sent and received by the tenants as confirmation they have reveived ALL requirements.

Also check wiring, gas and epc expiry dates, you do not want to find out they expire a month before tenants are due to go and then they do not leave!!!! Cover yourself .

Are you buying this flat to live in or rent out to students ?
How many students currently live in the flat ?
Is it a HMO with the correct licence and all the other requirements !
EPC of C or better ?
EICR ( lasts 5 years for Rentals )
GSC and lots of previous GSC,s
Fire Saferty Certificate if HMO
Mains wired smoke alarms in date !
PAT testing
Legionnaires Check and Certificate
Thumbturn locks and barrels on all exit doors.
Fire doors
Cladding on flats
Fire Safety Certificate for whole building
You can’t transfer a HMO licence.
Planning permission for alterations and Building Regulations
Size of rooms and local council requirements 6.5/8/10m2 bedrooms etc

Reply to the comment left by Graham Bowcock at 05/02/2026 – 09:46
Hi Graham

Thanks very much for the advice.
We will arrange for the solicitor to request the current rental details and we can examine them carefully.

Reply to the comment left by DAMIEN RAFFERTY at 05/02/2026 – 12:22
Hi Damien

Thanks very much for your reply.

Thankfully it is only a one bedroom flat, with the living room being used as a bedroom.

We will watch out for selective licensing as it may be coming to the area

Reply to the comment left by Southern Boyuk at 05/02/2026 – 10:13
Hi
Thanks very much for your advice.
It makes sense for the existing landlord to arrange the deed of surrender.

We will arrange for the solicitor to obtain all the items you listed as well so we can be sure all is in order.

We are arranging to meet the tenants again before the sale goes through and will ask them to email us their wish to end the tenancy on 1 August.

In that way we will have both the deed of surrender from the existing landlord and an email confirming their leaving date.

Though of course none of this is a guarantee they will leave.

Are you buying this flat to live in or rent out ?
Have you set up a Limited Company if your starting a property business.
Is this Scotland cos things are very different up there 🤔

Reply to the comment left by DAMIEN RAFFERTY at 05/02/2026 – 16:03
Hi Damien

It’s in England and we are going to rent it out.

It will just be in our name as we don’t intend to buy more.

Hi Marie,
Well We are student landlords to a HMO in Manchester.
Hence all the HMO advice.
We also rent out a 2 bed 2 bathroom ground floor flat
Have you checked the management Service costs ?
Ground Rent ?
Mortgage cost ?
Why one bedroom ?
Big city with lots of students and young working professionals?
Gas heating or All electric ?
High rise IE more than 11meters and any cladding or Fire Safety issues?
We had alot of extra costs when buying the flat.
Charge for registering ourselves as new owners
Another charge for Permission to Let.
Landlord Insurance
Video Inventory
EICR and Gas Safe Certificate before renting
EPC ( length left hopefully 10 years ) and A, B or C at least

Forgot to mention the new RRB which is really going to change the Rental market in England