I want to leave before the contract ends: how to do it properly
You can, with conditions. How long you must have been there, how much notice to give and what compensation may apply.
New job, new city, new life. Leaving early is more common than it seems and it can be done without leaving a dispute behind.
The two requirements
A tenant's right to withdraw is set out in law: you must have been in the property at least **six months** and give **thirty days'** notice. With those two conditions met, you can leave even if the contract had longer to run.
Compensation
It only applies if the contract expressly agreed it. In that case the maximum is **one month's rent for each year left to run**, pro rata for part of a year. If the contract says nothing, there is no compensation to pay for leaving while meeting the requirements.
Check your contract before giving notice: this clause is in many and absent from others. It changes the final sum considerably.
How to give notice
- In writing and with proof of receipt: registered notice, or email if that is the channel you have always used and you can evidence it.
- With the exact departure date, so the thirty-day period is unambiguous.
- Proposing how the handover of keys and the inspection will work.
And what to close off before leaving
Utilities cancelled or transferred, meter readings recorded, the property as you found it, and the same video walkthrough you did on arrival. With that, the deposit comes back without argument in most cases.
Looking for a home, or listing one?
Create your free Totukeli account in under a minute.