You can seek to end the tenancy if a tenant has breached your contract.
You must give appropriate Notice to Quit and cite your reasons, i.e. which conditions of the contract were breached.
A Fixed Term contract otherwise will come to a natural end at the end of the Fixed Term and no notice is required.
For periodic tenancies, i.e. those without a contract or where the tenancy has progressed beyond the fixed term, you must give appropriate notice to quit when ending the tenancy. The required length of notice depends on the length of the tenancy.
Notice requirements
Current Notice requirements are:
| Length of tenancy |
Notice to quit |
| Tenancy not been in existence for more than 12 months |
No less than 4 weeks' written notice |
| Tenancy has been in existence for more than 12 months but not more than 10 years |
No less than 8 weeks' written notice |
| Tenancy has been in existence for more than 10 years |
No less than 12 weeks' written notice |
Tenants must give you a minimum notice to quit period.
| Length of tenancy |
Notice to quit |
| Tenancy not been in existence for more than 10 years |
No less than 4 weeks' written notice |
| Tenancy has been in existence for more than 10 years |
No less than 12 weeks' written notice |
The notice to quit should be in writing and both the landlord and tenant should keep a copy.
If the tenant has not left when the notice has run out, you must apply for a Possession Order from a Magistrates' Court. A private tenant can only be made to leave their home if this order has been issued by the court.
Unlawful actions by a landlord
A landlord, or any person acting for them, who forces or attempts to force a tenant from their home without following the proper legal procedures is guilty of an offence.
This includes:
- changing the locks to a property when a tenant is not at home
- physically throwing a tenant out
- preventing a tenant from getting into part, or all of their home
A landlord who continually acts in a way that is designed to make a tenant leave the property could be guilty of harassment.
Examples include:
- interfering with gas, water and electricity supplies
- making threats and instructing a tenant to leave
- entering the property without consent
- refusing to carry out repairs
- making frequent unannounced visits, especially late at night
Private landlords requiring advice on ending a tenancy can also speak with an Environmental Health Officer or alternatively can phone Housing Rights Landlord Advice on 028 9024 5640 and choosing option 5.
Lines are open Monday to Friday, from 9.30am to 2.30pm. You can find more information at
https://www.housingadviceni.org/advice-landlords/process-ending-tenancy
https://www.housingadviceni.org/advice-landlords/dealing-problem-tenants