How to Find a Replacement Student Tenant

If you’ve decided to leave your student accommodation before the end of your tenancy agreement, you’ll probably have to find a replacement tenant. Otherwise, you might be stuck paying rent and utility bills for somewhere you’re no longer living – and nobody wants that.

There’s a whole heap of reasons why students might need to leave their accommodation partway through the academic year, from moving universities to a fallout with housemates. We’ve been there, so we’ll run you through the hassle-free way to handle a tenancy takeover.

What’s a replacement student tenant?

Basically, a replacement student tenant is a student who takes over another student’s tenancy agreement after they have left.

The replacement tenant will have the same rights and responsibilities as the original tenant, and their tenancy agreement will end on the same date as the original agreement.

Can you leave your tenancy agreement early?

If you want to leave or swap university accommodation, your landlord must let you leave your tenancy agreement early (officially called ‘surrendering your tenancy’). This is the case whether you live in university-owned halls of residence or privately-rented student accommodation.

The first step is always to have a chat with your landlord. Explain why you’re leaving; if there are extenuating circumstances, they might let you off the hook without a replacement. Most of the time, though, they’ll ask you to find someone to take over. If you don’t, you’ll be the one footing the bill until the contract ends, even if you’ve already moved out.

No risk is better than taking a gamble, so check Citizens Advice’s guide on moving out of student halls early, which is a useful place to get started.

Whose responsibility is it to find a replacement tenant?

Usually, the hassle of finding a replacement falls on you. This means advertising the room and chatting with potential new housemates. Some landlords might help you out, but don’t count on it – we’ll show you how to handle it yourself.

5 tips on finding a replacement student tenant

You’ll want to move fast so you aren’t paying for a room you aren’t in. Here’s how to find someone quickly and easily:

1. Advertise for free

Get that room online! You could place a free ad on Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, or Spare Room.

Online university noticeboards or student housing Facebook groups can also be great places to find replacement tenants for a tenancy takeover.

2. Include as much information as possible

Don’t be vague. You’ll want to include details like:

  • Type of accommodation
  • Size of the room
  • Rent
  • If bills are included
  • Location
  • Distance/time to university and city centre
  • Age and gender of your housemates
  • Your contact information

3. Use word of mouth

Don’t rely solely on online ads. Ask your friends, course mates and work colleagues if they know anyone looking for a room.

4. Talk to your landlord

If you’re struggling to find a replacement tenant for your student accommodation, try chatting with your landlord about your situation and reasons for leaving. They might be sympathetic and agree to release you early or help you find a replacement.

5. Check your contract carefully

Have a look at your tenancy agreement and check what it says about leaving the agreement early. There might be a break clause that allows you to leave early if you give enough notice or if you need to leave because of specific circumstances. It’ll save you a lot of work if you have one.

What happens if you can’t find a replacement tenant? (And who’s liable for rent payments?)

If you’ve tried everything and still haven’t found a replacement, or if your landlord has rejected the replacement you’ve found, you might be wondering what happens next.

Unfortunately, if your landlord doesn’t agree to release you from your tenancy, you have to pay rent until the end of your tenancy. So, if you want to leave because of a fallout, you may want to think about how to get on with your housemates and bury the hatchet. However, if you can’t pay, the landlord might seek payments from your guarantor (usually a parent) instead.

If it’s a joint tenancy, your housemates could even end up liable, which is a one-way ticket to an awkward fallout.

How Split the Bills can help

Getting your head around student tenancy agreements can be tricky, and finding a replacement tenant for student accommodation can feel like a never-ending process. Things only get more complex when you realise that you set up one of the house’s utility bills, and the direct debit is still coming out of your own bank account.

This is where Split the Bills comes in. We’re a bill-splitting service that can help you budget better by simplifying your household bills.

We set up utility accounts and manage direct debits so you don’t have to. All the bills are split equally among your housemates – all you have to do is pay one simple bill each month.

So, if something goes wrong and you need to leave, transferring your share of the bills over to your replacement tenant is simple. Plus, finding a tenancy takeover will be easier, as you can advertise that you’re already using our bill-splitting service!

If you want more information about Split the Bills, you can find out more about how we work.

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All in one equally split monthly bill. Nice.

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Want to find out more?

Interested in splitting your student household bills rather than splitting up friendships? Check out Split the Bills now and make life easier for everyone in your shared student house.

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