Student accommodation: how to give notice to leave.

Moving in takes planning and so does moving out! Are you getting ready to leave your student accommodation? Whether you rent a room in a shared flat, a hall of residence, a flat in a student residence or a room from a private individual, make sure you send your notice of departure on time! Otherwise, you risk having to pay for accommodation that you no longer occupy (and seriously denting your holiday budget).

Deadlines for giving notice of departure

Have you landed your dream internship? The company you’ve always wanted to work for has offered you a job? Congratulations! The only problem is that you have to start as soon as possible (and it’s on the other side of the country). Rest assured, whatever lease you signed when you moved in, you’re free to leave before the end of the original lease (even for a 9-month student lease). The only condition is that you send your notice of departure to your landlord in good time (private owner, estate agency, Crous, student residence, etc.). To make things simple (seriously how fun would life be if everything was easy?), the deadlines vary depending on the type of flat you rent and the lease. Important: if you rent your accommodation via a student lease or mobility lease, the notice is one month. 

• For empty accommodation: if you’re renting an empty flat under a standard rental agreement (not a student lease or a mobility lease), you must send your notice of departure to the landlord at least 3 months before you leave the premises. However, in some cases, this period may be reduced to one month:
•  If you’re leaving to start your first job (no dents in your first paycheck!)
• If you’re moving because of health problems
•  If your home is located in an area where rental demand is very high (known as a "stretched" area)
• For furnished accommodation: if your flat is rented furnished (if there’s just a kettle and a mattress, it doesn't count), the final deadline for giving notice is 1 month before departure.
• Student residence: as a general rule, accommodation in a student residence is furnished, so the deadline is also 1 month.
• Room in a Crous residence or university hall of residence: as a general rule, notice of departure must be sent at least 30 days before your actual departure from the accommodation. For example, if you want to leave on 14th June, send your notice by 15th May. Remember to visit your local Crous website, where you can often download standard forms for notice of departure. Then you can hand in the document directly at the residence’s reception (saving the price of a stamp). The latter will propose an appointment for the exit inventory of fixtures.

How to send your notice of departure?

You must send your notice of departure to your landlord (owner, residence, estate agency) by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, or by bailiff's deed or deliver it by hand. If you deliver by hand, make sure you sign a sign-in sheet or leave with a receipt (a document proving that you have handed it in). Please note that for your notice of departure to be validated, you must respect this protocol (a quick email fired off while you’re watching TV won’t count).