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We were in the same position last year and had to eat 3 months' rent, as well as paying the estate agent fees for the next tenancy. It's hardly difficult for them to call up an estate agent and give them the keys, is it? Very clear in these scenarios that tenancies are really services to landlords, and only nominally for tenants.
Anyway, hopefully for you and others the Rental Reform Bill will pass before next year, so you can give 2 months' notice after 6 months from the tenancy start date. It has a clause that allows it to be applied retroactively to old tenancies too (the 'extended application date').
I'm hoping Labour's housing secretary, Matthew Pennycook, sets the date as early as possible. It seems like he's well briefed on housing, so it's their chance to shine.
Edit: here's the bill — it's well worth a read, at least for anyone who is about as dull/interested in housing poilcy as me: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-04/0015/230015.pdf
slippers-
Thanks for this. I might let the agent know - they can tell the landlord that agreeing to our 2 month notice request would be good practice for when he has to suck it up on all of his properties.
Looks like the Bill could pass any time now, and the Conservatives have suggested it is a priority before they call the GE. However, it's not clear how quickly it would apply to existing tenancies - is that right?
Scrabble
We're currently arguing with our landlord of 9 years over our next years tenancy agreement. Having put our rent up by £150 a month we're trying to buy a house. He has refused to entertain anything other than a fixed 1 year tenancy, with no break clause or anything. So by his rules - we have to try and buy a house for our young family on 1 May next year. Requesting a two month notice is just being rejected even though hes had 9 years of faultless payment on the date every month. His argument is that he might be on holiday.
CUNT