Landlord out of pocket costs due to early termination?
Who is liable for additional out-of-pocket costs due to early termination of a lease by the tenant? An AST Lease was renewed in November 2019 to end on a fixed date 31 January 2021.
The tenants want to leave on 21 December 2020 and rent has been paid until 31 December 2020.
Because no notice was given, they will pay an amount equal one months rent for January 2021 as a penalty for early termination- all agreed.
Questions
1. What is the new termination date of the tenancy? 21 December 2020 or 31 December 2020.
2. Do they remain liable for any period of Council Tax after 21 December 2020 when they return the keys.
3. The tenants are disputing liability to pay for professional cleaning and a checkout audit as per the original lease due to a change in legislation in June 2020.
Are they correct to do so?
Many thanks
Charles
Comments
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Member Since August 2013 - Comments: 323 - Articles: 1
4:57 PM, 11th December 2020, About 5 years ago
Returning to the OP:
“3. The tenants are disputing liability to pay for professional cleaning and a checkout audit as per the original lease due to a change in legislation in June 2020.
Are they correct to do so?”
I would say you are now liable to pay for the checkout audit but if that finds that the property was left in a less clean state than that recorded in the checkin report then surely you can engage the services of a professional cleaning company to bring the property back to it’s checkin condition and pass that charge on the outgoing tenant