Love, lettings and the two-month notice period

Moving in together is a big step. You learn whether you can share a bathroom, a food shop and, perhaps most importantly a tenancy agreement!

For some new couples, finding a home in which to test these things may now be harder.

Under the Renters’ Rights Act private tenancies in England run on a rolling basis, and tenants can end them by giving two months’ notice. That flexibility is valuable. If living together doesn’t work out, a couple needn’t remain tied to a home that no longer suits them.

But we are seeing an unintended consequence. When a landlord chooses between applicants, they hope to find tenants who will stay. Faced with a newly formed couple and one who have lived together for years, some may assume the established couple is more likely to remain in the property.

That is a rather awkward position for anyone taking their first step towards living together. You can have excellent references, reliable incomes and a shared love for the same flat, yet find yourselves competing with a couple whose relationship has had more time to prove itself.

The new rules give tenants welcome freedom. The challenge for the rental market is to make sure couples at the beginning of their story still have a fair chance of finding somewhere to call home.