The bad old days of being a nasty, vindictive and unsavoury landlord, as portrayed in countless tv programmes is gradually easing. The general perception in years gone by was that a landlord could just about break every rule in the book with instant repossessions and giving tenants no reasonable notice to vacate. This threat must have been very wearing for the tenant. Not knowing if they were to be turfed out of their home at a moment’s notice with nowhere else to move to. Cases of tenants being asked to vacate because a member of the landlord’s needed the flat used to be regular causes of repossession. It cannot be used with such vigour now but because of the massive overhaul of the Tenancy Acts. However, it is not true that such removals are not allowed under any circumstances, It has just changed to tenants cannot be asked to leave for these purposes within the first 12 months of a new tenancy. A landlord can give notice during the first 12 months of a new tenancy but it has to run the full 12 months and cannot expire before that period has ceased. Here is an example of that Ground 1 Notice period change:
A landlord has just started renting out their spare flat to a brand new tenant six months ago. The Landlord then realises he could let his daughter rent the flat. So the landlord needs to wait to give the tenant notice to leave, under Ground 1 until 8 months have passed. The notice will then naturally expire after the protected period at 12 months. The tenant must then move out when that notice period expires and the landlord’s daughter moves in. There are separate rules governing dwelling houses and even more if that dwelling house forms part of a portfolio under a Rent to Buy where the tenant has been offered the chance to buy the property at the end of the scheme.