A property firm is urging investors to recognise the importance of a landlord’s duty of care when a rented property is put up for sale.
Under UK law, when a landlord sells a property that is currently rented, tenants have specific rights and protections, largely dependent on the type of tenancy and the terms of the tenancy agreement.
Good Move emphasises that a property changing hands does not remove a tenant’s rights – and that responsible landlords have clear legal and ethical responsibilities during the process.
When a landlord sells a property that is currently occupied, UK law provides tenants with strong protections, ensuring that the original agreement remains legally binding, simply making the new owner the tenant’s landlord. This takeover considers all the rights and responsibilities of the previous landlord, such as repairs, deposit protection and notice periods, as the liability of the new landlord.
For tenants on fixed-term agreements, there’s often no disruption as the tenancy will likely continue up to its initial agreement date, unless there is an extreme circumstance that leads to eviction. For tenants on periodic, or rolling, agreements, the new landlord can only end a tenancy with correct legal procedure – such as issuing a notice of two months.
From 2026, the Renters Rights Act will cover a range of provisions, such as considering all tenancies as periodic, and therefore running on a monthly rolling basis. This act will remove the landlord’s right to a ‘no-fault’ eviction, and follow a similar periodic procedure, giving landlords and tenants a two-month notice window before ending the current agreement. This will be procedure for recently sold, or current rental properties alike.
Nima Ghasri, director at Good Move, highlights that whether buying or selling a tenanted property, the duty of care held by landlords should be the central consideration:
“I would always suggest that a collaborative and transparent landlord-tenant relationship is the most productive way to extend a landlord’s duty of care. Whilst there are significant legal protections in place to facilitate a respectful lessor/lessee relationship, it’s always worth taking the time to communicate with your tenants, sharing your roles and responsibilities openly and clearly where possible.”
