"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"
- Nima Ghasri - Good Move
Good Move is encouraging landlords and tenants to understand the scope of a landlord’s duty of care when a rented property is put on the market.
Under UK law, tenants have specific rights and protections when a property is sold, which depend on the type of tenancy and the terms of the agreement. Good Move stresses that selling a property does not remove a tenant’s rights. Responsible landlords retain legal and ethical obligations throughout the process.
When a rented property changes ownership, the new landlord inherits the responsibilities of the previous owner. This includes maintaining repairs, protecting deposits, and observing notice periods. Tenants on fixed-term agreements generally continue under the original terms until the agreement ends, unless extreme circumstances require eviction. For tenants on periodic or rolling agreements, the new landlord must follow proper legal procedures, such as providing a two-month notice period.
From 2026, the Renter’s Rights Act will introduce additional protections. All tenancies will be considered periodic, running on a monthly rolling basis. The act will remove the landlord’s right to ‘no-fault’ evictions, requiring a two-month notice for ending an agreement, including for properties that have recently been sold.
“At Good Move, we believe that landlords play a crucial role in safeguarding the wellbeing and stability of their property’s tenants,” said Nima Ghasri, director at Good Move. “With this in mind, 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.”
