Letting agent terms of business: termination clauses compared

Are you a landlord who’s looking to sign up with a letting agent for full management? Or perhaps you’d like to take over the management yourself, or move to another agent, but you’re struggling to understand the terms of business and how much, if anything, it’s going to cost you to leave.

Very few letting agents and estate agents have their terms of business on their website or have plain English explanations of the terms, which is something I’d like to change, so that landlords can read termination provisions before even making contact with the agent.

Even if they do get to see the terms of business, many of them are impenetrable. Agents should have plain English explanations of important terms.

This blog post helps landlords understand the termination provisions in the terms of business, with a handy table to get an overview, and a deep dive into the terms of each agent underneath.

You’ll see there isn’t a standard approach to termination provisions. Some require landlords to continue paying fees even after the landlord terminates, so long as the tenants remain in the property. Others allow landlords to terminate after a reasonable notice period, which I consider to be up to 3 months’ notice after the first year.

This underlines just how important it is for landlords to read the small print, and understand what’s in the contract. Particularly as some agents charge landlords on-going fees for finding tenants and “renewals”, even if someone else manages the property and handles any renewals and rent increases.

Congratulations to those letting agents to whom I have awarded a gold star 🌟 for terms of business that stand out as being particularly balanced and fair.

I’d like to single out Leaders for praise as the most improved termination provisions, with the 👏 emoji. They have now reduced their withdrawal fee from two to one month after the first year, and it’s also possible for landlords to terminate on the anniversary with one month’s notice, without paying a withdrawal fee. If they allowed landlords to terminate at any time after the first year with one month’s notice, they’d get a gold star…

There is also one letting agent, Hello Neighbour, who receives a medal 🏅 for objectively having the fairest termination provisions for a fully managed service, namely one month’s notice at any time, and no termination fee.

I originally published this blog post in 2025, but updated it in August 2026 to include new terms of business I’ve received that have been published to reflect the changes made by the Renters’ Rights Act. I’ve included the dates so it’s evident which may be out of date.

Finally, I cover how to choose a letting agent, what to look for in the contract, and how to get the best from your agent, in detail in my bestselling book, The Good Landlord Handbook. If you have questions, you can ask me at twice-monthly livestreams in my membership, The Independent Landlord Hub.

PS Letting agents: if I have out of date terms of business or have made an error, please contact me via my contact page to let me know and I’ll update the blog post. I want this blog post to be fair and accurate.

>> Related Post: Letting agents and the law on unfair terms in contracts with landlords

>> Related Post: What to look for in the small print of letting agent contracts

Last updated: 25 August 2026

Overview of termination provisions for full management

The termination provisions in many of the estate agent and letting agent terms of business are very complex. This table below summarises the contractual position of a landlord using full management who wants to terminate full management with the agent, and appoint another agent to manage the property, or to do it themselves.

This is just an overview, and I provide more information for each letting agent further down in this blog post.

As most letting agents don’t publish their terms of business on their websites, I’m reliant on landlords sending me a copy so I can analyse it. This means that I haven’t necessarily got the latest terms of business for all of the agents.

Where the terms pre-date the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force on 1 May 2026, I mark them ‘pre-RRA’ in the table, as the agent may have issued a new version that hasn’t reached me.

If you’d like to send me up to date terms of business, you can send me a message here: contact page.

>> Related Post: How much do letting agents charge for full property management?

Note that all terms of business are subject to landlords’ contractual rights in the event of a fundamental breach. They are also subject to any applicable consumer protection laws where the landlord is a “consumer” (in short, not a company and not a full-time or professional landlord) including Section 62 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015. I cover the rights that “consumer landlords” have regarding unfair terms in this blog post: Letting agents and the law on unfair terms in contracts with landlords.

>> Related Post: Letting agents and the law on unfair terms in contracts with landlords

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Summaries of termination provisions of selected letting agents

I’m very grateful for the many landlords who have sent me the terms of business for their letting agents and estate agents. Where the terms of business have no identifying information, I have provided links to them. For some, eg Dexters, I have cut and pasted the terms into a word document and saved it as a pdf.

References to a percentage are to the percentage of the gross rent payable including VAT. The fees payable will vary depending on the location of the branch and any negotiation by the landlord, and they may be out of date.

If you are a letting agent and would like your terms of business to be included, please contact me via my contact form. If I’ve got something wrong, or if I have out of date terms of business, please let me know. I want this blog post to be accurate and up to date.

🌟 Andrews – Terms of Business (2025)

Full Management: 18% inc VAT plus Tenancy Pack with a fixed upfront fee of £432 for arranging the setting up of a Tenancy which includes the appropriate type of Tenancy Agreement, tenant references and Right to Rent checks.

Letting and Rent Collect: 15% inc VAT, plus £432 Tenancy Pack as above.

Let Only: 12% inc VAT, plus £432 Tenancy Pack as above.

Termination clauses:

• 5.5 – “If the Landlord wishes to cancel this agreement during a tenancy (Full Management and Rent Collection only), the Landlord may do so by writing to Andrews giving 60 days’ notice to allow for the orderly handover of the Property.

• 5.7 – “In the event of cancellation during a tenancy the minimum fee that would be payable is the Let Only fee plus other costs incurred, including a reasonable fee for the time management which has been provided.

What the clauses mean: A landlord can terminate at any time with 60 days’ notice. If they do so, they’d have to pay the Let Only fee, and a reasonable amount for the services provided and any costs. This means the letting agent will receive a fair amount for the services they have provided, without imposing an exit penalty on the landlord.

Andrews have confirmed that there have been no changes to their termination provisions since I did this analysis.

🌟 Anthony James Residential – Terms of Business (2025)

Renewal Fee – one week’s rent plus VAT, payable if the landlord “renews or extends” the tenancy.

Termination of management clause: 5.15 – “The Landlord may withdraw instructions from the Agent to manage the Property with 3 months written notice. In the event that the Tenant remains in possession of the Property, charges will be payable as if the Agent were instructed on a Let Only basis where a fee of 75% of one month’s rent +VAT is payable.”

What the clause means: Straightforward method of terminating management by serving 3 months’ notice, and a fair payment to the letting agent for work done.

>> Download: Anthony James Residential Terms of Business

Charters – Lettings Terms and Conditions (2026)

Let only fee: Upfront marketing fee payable from first month’s rent £540.00 inc VAT and 9.6% inc VAT “of the term of the tenancy rent”.

Letting and full property management: £540.00 inc VAT upfront marketing fee, plus 18% fully managed

Termination provisions:

• 4.15 – “If the Landlord elects to terminate this Agreement but retains at least one of the tenant(s) originally found by the Agent then the Landlord’s instructions to the Agent will be on the basis of a Let Only Service, the fees for which are set in the Schedule of Fees, until such time as all tenant(s) originally found by the Agent have vacated the Property.”
• 10.3 – “The Landlord may terminate this Agreement by giving three calendar months’ advance written notice to the Agent. The Landlord agrees to pay all fees owed to the Agent up to the date the termination takes effect except where the Tenant/s remains in the Property. To clarify, the ongoing occupation of all/any Tenant/s introduced by the Agent triggers an ongoing liability for the Landlord to pay fees to the Agent until such a time as all Tenant/s permanently vacate the Property, and the Tenancy is terminated through the appropriate legal notice procedure.”
• 10.3.1 – “There will also be a termination charge of one month’s rent.”

What the clauses mean: Although the landlord can terminate management, they will need to keep paying the on-going tenant find commission of 9.6% until the last tenant vacates the property (which means even if they serve a notice to quit and enter into a new tenancy, the commission would still be payable. This is on top of one month’s rent.

>> Download: Charters Lettings Terms and Conditions (2026)

>> Link: Fees as per website

Chestertons – Lettings Terms of Business (2024)

Letting and Rent Collection: 13.2% inc VAT of the rent for the initial fixed term, payable up front. Minimum fee of £1,500.

Renewal Commission: 12% inc VAT, plus any property management fee.

Letting and property management: 20.4% inc VAT of the rent, which includes the Letting and Rent Collection Fee above, plus 7.2% inc VAT for the property management. Minimum fee of £2,400.

Termination clauses:

• 3.4 – “Our Fee remains due and payable in relation to any Renewal or continuation of the Tenancy as a fixed term or Periodic Tenancy whether or not we had any part in the Agreement.”
• 3.8 – “If you and your tenant mutually agree to end the Tenancy Agreement early, outside the terms of the Tenancy Agreement, then the remainder of all Fees and Charges due up to the end date agreed in this agreement are still owed and must be paid in full. Subsequently we will on your behalf seek to but cannot guarantee to recover the overpaid Fees from your tenant along with a proportion of the costs of re-letting.”
• 3.9 – “If you decide to sell the Property or change the ownership of the Property during the Tenancy, then all Fees due up to the end date in this agreement are payable immediately”.
• 7.36 – “You may terminate the appointment of Chestertons during the period of the Tenancy only if there is a fundamental breach of obligation by Chesterton”

What the clauses mean: Terms of Business oblige landlords to keep paying the 12% Renewal Commission for so long as the tenants remain in the property, even if the landlord appoints other agents, unless Chestertons have committed a fundamental breach of the contract. “Renewal” includes a periodic tenancy.

>> Download: Chestertons – Lettings Terms of Business (Nov 2024)

Connells – Agreement for Letting Services (Nov 2024)

Full management: 19.2% inc VAT. No additional set up fee for finding a tenant.

Rent collection: 14.4% inc VAT. No additional set up fee for finding a tenant.

Termination of full management: 6 months’ written notice, plus the fees for the remainder of any current fixed-term tenancy.

Termination of rent collection: 6 months’ written notice, plus the fees for the remainder of any current fixed-term tenancy.

What the clauses mean: Whilst it is possible to terminate both the full management and rent collection services, the landlord needs to give 6 months’ notice and can’t give notice during a fixed term.

>> Download: Connells Agreement for letting services

Dexters – Letter of appointment (2024)

Full management service (sole agency): 19.2% inc VAT, subject to a minimum fee of £2,000.

Rent management service (sole agency): 13.2% inc VAT, subject to a minimum fee of £2,000.

Let only: not offered

Termination clauses:

• 2.4 – “Our Full Management service can be reduced to a Rent Management service at a fee of 10% + VAT [12% inc VAT] by either party giving three months notice in writing, which can expire no less than six months from the start date of the Tenancy.” [Note this is for sole agency. Clause 3.4 is similar for multiple agency, but the fee is 11% + VAT]
• 2.5 – “If you no longer require our services you can give us three months notice in writing to end this agreement at the end of the sixth year of the Tenant’s stay in the Property.” [Note this is for sole agency. Identical clause 3.5 for multiple agency]
• 4.3 – “If you and the Tenant agree to end the Tenancy before its expiry, then the unpaid balance of our fees for the rest of the term of the Tenancy becomes due and payable immediately in full. If the early termination has been initiated by the Tenant we will try, upon your instruction and where practical, to recover the losses you incur.”
• 4.4 – “Should you decide to collect the rent directly from your Tenant we require one month’s notice to change the service and advise your Tenant. As we would no longer be able to deduct the fee from the rent, all fees due up to the end date of the Tenancy are payable immediately and lettings fees will remain due for any extension or renewal of the Tenancy (subject to clauses 2.4 and 3.4).”
• 4.5 – “Where more than one Tenant is introduced by us the fee will be payable for the duration of the contractual term or for any period that any of the Tenants remain in the Property.”
• 4.8 – “If you sell or otherwise transfer the Property during the Contractual Term, all fees up to the end of the Tenancy become due before the exchange of contracts with the new owner and where possible we will take the balance of fees owing from the next rental payment.”

Other clauses: “Upon notice being served by the Tenant to terminate the Contractual Term, we will commence re-marketing of the Property subject to this agreement unless you instruct us differently within seven days of receipt of the Tenant’s notice.”

What the clauses mean: Landlords must continue paying at least 12% of the gross rent each year for so long as the tenant stays in the property. If the landlord terminates the agreement with the letting agent, the landlord will have to keep paying for 6 years after the tenant moves in if they are still there. This would be payable as a lump sum. The fees are payable for the period until the tenancy was due to end, even if the landlord sells.

>> Download: Dexters – Letter of appointment

>> Link: Fees as per website (Note that the fees have increased since the letter of appointment dated 2024. This means the detail in the letter of appointment may have changed).

Foxtons – Lettings Terms and Conditions of Business, Fees and Expenses (2025)

Lettings Service Long Term Lettings:

• Initial Commission: 13.2% inc VAT for initial fixed term tenancy period, payable on the commencement of the tenancy.
• Renewal Commission: 12% for the first two years’ Renewals (called Renewal Commission). The Renewal Commission fee is due and payable on the commencement of each Renewal taking place within two years from the expiry of the Initial Agreement.
• Renewals includes where the tenant “renews, extends, holds-over and/or enters a new agreement for which rental income is received”.
• Continuation Fees: 8.4% inc VAT for “Continuation Period after the first two years’ renewals”. Foxtons will deduct the Continuation Fee from the first rental payment of the Continuation Period and if the fee exceeds the first rental payment, the balance will be deducted from subsequent rental payment(s).
• Continuation Period: “After the initial period of tenancy and two years’ of Renewals, Foxtons’ obligations under this agreement will cease. Foxtons will offer you the opportunity of continuing to receive the benefit of Foxtons’ services. The charge for continuing with Foxtons’ services is 8.4% inc VAT of the rent received by the landlord, or 13.2% inc VAT if you require Foxtons’ Management Service.”

Additional fees for full management (paid on top of letting fees):

• 7.2% inc VAT for 1-2 properties, 4.8% inc VAT for 5+ properties.
• Fees on the first two years’ Renewals and Continuation Period after the first two years’ Renewals: 4.8% inc VAT.

Termination clauses:

• 1.1.6 – “Where the tenancy is surrendered prior to the end of the fixed tenancy term, you will not be entitled to a refund from Foxtons. If the tenant asks to surrender the tenancy, Foxtons will seek your agreement and where you agree, seek to recover on your behalf from the tenant an amount equal to the commission incurred by you for the unexpired portion of the tenancy as a condition of your agreement to the surrender. Foxtons does not guarantee the recovery of these funds.”
• 1.2.8 – “If the tenant terminates the tenancy by serving a valid notice to quit or by exercising a break clause prior to the end of the period for which Renewal Commission has been paid in accordance with clauses 1.2.4 to 1.2.6 above, Foxtons will credit the Landlord with a sum equivalent to any Renewal Commission already received for the remaining period of the tenancy. That credit will be usable against Initial Commission charged for any further letting of the same property by Foxtons.”
• 1.2.9 – “Where the tenancy is surrendered prior to the end of a renewed period/ term you will not be entitled to any refund from Foxtons. If the tenant asks to surrender the tenancy, Foxtons will seek your agreement and where you agree, seek to recover on your behalf from the tenant an amount equal to the commission incurred by you for the unexpired portion of the tenancy as a condition of your agreement to the surrender. Foxtons does not guarantee the recovery of these funds.”
• 1.2.10 “Renewal Commission will be due in respect of Renewals where the original tenant remains in occupation. Where there is more than one tenant, Renewal Commission will be payable in full where any or all of them remain in occupation.”
• 1.2.11 “Renewal Commission will be due whether or not the renewal, extension, hold-over or new agreement with the tenant is negotiated by Foxtons.”
• 1.2.13 – “Liability for Renewal Commission will come to an end once the property has been sold.”

What the clauses mean: Landlords will need to keep paying the full Initial Commission for the initial fixed term, and a lower rate for the next two years’ renewals, and a lower fee for the following 2 years, provided the tenants are still in the property, amounting to the original fixed term period plus 4 years. This is payable even if the landlord is no longer with Foxtons. Refunds of Renewal Commission paid in advance by the landlord may be credited against another letting where the tenant serves a valid notice to quit, ie where the tenant leaves within the first two years following the fixed term.

>> Download: Foxtons – Lettings Terms and Conditions of Business, Fees and Expenses

>> Link: Fees as per website

Hamptons – Letting Terms of Engagement (June 2022)

“Standard (Long Term) Letting Service” (includes rent collection, so it’s not a true “let only”): 13.2% inc VAT

Property Management Service: 20.4% inc VAT

Tenancy Setup Fee: £390 inc VAT 

Tenancy Continuation Fee: £150 inc VAT. Payable when “we renew or extend a Tenancy on your behalf” and “includes as many of the following as are necessary to facilitate the renewal, extension or hold over: Preparation of the most suitable type of Renewal Tenancy; Agreement or Memorandum of Agreement; Rent review and re-negotiation of Rent and Term (where instructed by you); Re-registration of your Tenant’s deposit with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) if necessary. In the event that one or more of these features is not required, our Tenancy Continuation Fee will not be adjusted”.

Payment terms: 4.5.2 – “The Commission fee for our Standard Letting Service or Short Let Service is payable in full in advance at the start of any renewal period and again thereafter on each subsequent anniversary of the Tenancy’s start date for as long as our mutual Tenant, or somebody introduced by our mutual Tenant, remains at the Property.”

Termination clauses:

• Can terminate Full Management Service or Standard Lettings Service with one month’s notice, but clause 8.4 provides: “If you terminate our appointment under our Full Management or Standard Letting Service but continue the Tenancy with the Tenant introduced by us, even if the renewal or extension of the Tenancy is negotiated by another agent, you must pay us a Commission fee equivalent to the Standard Letting Service fee until whichever of the following occurs first: the Tenant leaves the Property; or 60 months from the date the Tenancy commenced.”
• 4.4 – “If you or your tenant terminate the Tenancy prior to its end date in accordance with the terms of your Tenancy Agreement (by exercising a contractual break clause, for example) a pro-rata refund of our Standard Letting Service commission will be made covering any unexpired period of Tenancy. […] If a termination occurs by mutual agreement between yourself and the Tenant where there is no contractual provision for such an event, our commission remains due and payable for the term of the Tenancy or until the first date upon which a contractual break clause may be exercised.”

What the clauses mean: Landlords must continue paying at least 13.2% of the gross rent each year for so long as the tenant stays in the property. If the landlord terminates the agreement with the letting agent, the landlord will have to keep paying this fee for 7 years from the start of the tenancy (not clear if this is the original tenancy or the last renewal). Fees are payable until the end of the fixed term (or break clause) of the current tenancy if the landlord agrees the tenant may terminate the tenancy early.

>> Download: Hamptons – Letting Terms of Engagement (June 2022)

>> Link: Fees as per website

🏅 Hello Neighbour – Full Management Service Terms of Business (August 2026)

Property management fees: A flat fee of £102 pcm inc VAT.

Tenancy set-up fee: £1,300 pcm inc VAT.

Termination clause: 4.7 – “Either party is entitled to cancel this agreement in writing on 1 (one) calendar month’s notice to the other party”.

What the clause means: This is an exceptionally fair reciprocal termination clause that enables either party to terminate with one month’s notice, at any time, without paying any form of penalty. There is no minimum term, and the agreement rolls from month to month. This earns Hello Neighbour a medal for the objectively fairest termination provisions.

>> Download: Hello Neighbour Full Management Service Terms of Business (2026)

Higson Homes – Letting Service Terms and Conditions

Termination clause: 14.1 – “The Agent’s appointment to perform the Services is for an initial period of 24 months or equal to the term of the tenancy which ever greater. The Agreement shall last for the full period and shall continue in force thereafter unless […] either party gives the other not less that one month’s notice of termination to expire on or after the initial period equal to the term of the tenancy. There will be a £250 withdrawal fee per unit/property when the Client terminates the contract.”

What this means: Landlords can terminate with one month’s notice and a termination fee of £250 after the first 24 months of the tenancy.

>> Download: Higson Homes Letting Service Terms and Conditions

Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward – Lettings Terms and Conditions (2023)

Letting Fee: 13.2% inc VAT, initial fixed term, payable in advance, subject to a minimum of £900. They do not offer a “find tenant only” service.

Management only: 7.2% inc VAT, payable monthly, 3 months’ notice period

Letting and management: 20.4% inc VAT, initial fixed term, payable in advance

Renewal Service: 12% inc VAT, for “any renewal, extension, holding over or periodic, payable in advance”. If a periodic tenancy, payable quarterly in advance.

Renewal Commission: 2.2 – ” Our Renewal Commission is due in full at the start of any renewal, extension, continuation or holding over of the Tenancy and is subject to the rate of fees as shown in the ‘Confirmation of Instructions’ section. However if the Tenancy becomes periodic then the Renewal Service Commission is payable quarterly in advance if the Tenancy is terminated by the Tenant giving proper notice We shall refund a pro rata portion of the Renewal Service Commission paid in advance for the period when the Tenancy has ended.”

Ongoing fees: “You should particularly note that the fees for Letting and Renewal of Tenancies are payable not only for the Initial Period of the Tenancy, but also for the whole length of time that a Tenant introduced by KFH, or the Occupant (as defined) remains in occupation of the Property.”

Termination clause: 2.12 – “Our Management Service can be terminated by either You or by Us giving three months’ written notice. Termination of the Management Service does not cancel Your liability to pay Commission under the Letting or Short Let services. If You reasonably consider that We are in fundamental breach of this Agreement You agree to give Us 14 days written notice of the breach and after 14 days if We have not remedied the said breach the Agreement shall be terminated.”

What this means: Landlords can terminate management only with 3 months’ notice, but the landlord will still need to pay the ongoing fees for letting and renewal, even if they use another agent for management.

>> Link: Fees as per website

👏 Leaders – Terms of Business (2026)

Fees: Varies according to the branch, but the fees for the closest Leaders’ branch to me in Kent are:

• Full management: 18% inc VAT for full tenancy term including all renewal periods plus “tenancy set up fee” of 1.8 weeks’ rent including VAT, subject to a minimum of £690.00 inc of VAT and a monthly compliance fee of £14.40 inc VAT. “Landlord Renewal” of £150 inc VAT.
• Introduction only: One month’s rent plus VAT, plus set up fee of one week’s rent to include the tenancy agreement and transfer of utilities. £240 inc VAT for “any renewal or extension of any Tenancy or for any Rent review thereafter, payable commencement of the renewal Term or rental period or commencement of the rent review process”. (Renewal fee only charged if landlord uses Leaders to renew or review rent).

Termination clause: Their property management agreement runs for a 12-month Initial Period from the start of the tenancy. After that it automatically renews in successive 12-month Anniversary Periods, indefinitely, unless the landlord serves notice.

Landlords have two methods of terminating:

1. By at least one month’s notice to expire at the end of a Period. No Withdrawal Fee is payable if they do this.
2. During a Period, by payment of a Withdrawal Fee, which is two months’ rent plus VAT during the first 12 months of a tenancy (the Initial Period) and one month’s rent plus VAT during the second and subsequent years (the Anniversary Periods).

What this means: Landlords have one opportunity a year on the anniversary date to end a management agreement with one month’s notice, without paying any form of penalty or fee. If they wish to terminate in between the anniversary dates, they need to pay two months’ rent plus VAT in the first 12 months and one month’s rent during the second and subsequent years.

Until 2026, their withdrawal fee was two months’ rent, and there was no window to terminate without paying a fee. This is a welcome change, and almost gets Leaders a gold star. To get a gold star, they’d need to move to a rolling contract after the first year whereby landlords can terminate at any time, instead of being tied in for successive 12 month periods.

That said, and giving credit where credit’s due, they get the “most improved” award 👏

I hope other large agents will follow Leaders’ leadership here.

>> Download: Leaders – Terms of Business (2026)

>> Link: Fees as per website

Make UR Move – Terms and conditions of business: property management (2025)

Advertising and basic tools: £150 (online)

Property management (“Good Landlord Plus“): £30 per month with 12 month minimum term (online).

Termination clauses:

• Services will continue until notice to terminate is served by either party providing three months written notice and subject to the consequences of termination.
• Upon termination all charges remaining for the term of the contract outstanding and any minimum term for additional services will become due immediately. […] Where termination occurs within 12 months of a new/renewed tenancy and outside the initial term a fee of £300 shall be due.

What the clauses mean: Landlords can terminate after the 12 month minimum term with three months’ notice. If it is within 12 months of a renewal, a further £300 is payable. The £300 termination fee is equivalent to 10 months’ fees.

>> Download: Make UR Move Terms and Conditions of Business

>> Link: Fees as per website

🌟 Martin & Co (March 2026)

These terms of business use Propertymark’s approved template from Bright (SW) LLP (March 2026).

Letting Fee: £200 inc VAT if fully managed, 90% of one month’s rent for Let Only.

Fully managed: 15.6% incl.VAT

Termination provisions:

• 15.1 –  “Without affecting any other right or remedy available to it, either party may terminate the Terms of Business by giving the other party two months’ written notice.”
• 16.1.2 – “Where the Landlord cancels or terminates these Terms of Business during a tenancy (Fully Managed or Rent Collection service only), the Landlord will pay the Agent the Let Only fee plus any expenses incurred for example the gas safety check.”

What this means: Landlords can terminate at any time with two months’ notice, and will only need to pay the equivalent of the Let Only fee plus the cost of services provided (eg gas safety). This gets a gold star as it means the landlord pays for the services received, there is no minimum period, and there is no on-going liability after termination. Two months is a reasonable notice period.

>> Download: Martin & Co (Propertymark-approved template from Bright)

🌟 RENTL by JGLA LTD

Tenant find / Rent collection: not offered

Full management: 12% plus £250 tenancy set up. Includes most services that other agents charge extra for eg inventory, referencing.

Termination clause: “Either party may terminate this agreement on the vacation of a tenant or on the occasion of a material breach of any condition of this agreement during a tenancy or by way of three months’ notice, such notice to be in writing in each case.”

>> Download: RENTL by JGLA Ltd Agency Agreement (2023)

>> Link: Fees as per website

Savills – Terms of Business for Residential Lettings (Feb 2024)

Management fee (“Letting, renewal, receiving rent and management“): 20.4% inc VAT of total rent for each new tenancy including any extension or renewal.

Letting fee: 15% inc VAT of total rent “for each new tenancy including any extension or renewal. Our fee is due for the whole term of the tenancy, subject to the minimum fees, and we’ll take it in advance for each.”

Termination clause: “If you, or we, decide to end our management service, following 28 days written notice, our lettings fee will remain due for the remainder of the tenancy plus any subsequent renewals or extensions, and will revert to the full letting, renewal and receiving rent service fee and service”

What the clause means: Under the terms of the contract, a landlord would need to keep paying the letting fee each year for so long as the tenant remains in the property, even if the landlord wishes to use another agent for rent collection and management. Unlike the other London agents, there is no time limit. This is the most stringent of the termination provisions.

>> Link: Fees

Final thoughts

This analysis shows just how much the termination provisions vary in letting agent terms of business.

I hope that the transparency my analysis brings will encourage more letting agents to have reasonable terms for if landlords want to leave. After all, landlords’ situations may change and the service levels might not be great, but not so bad as to be a fundamental breach.

l also hope that letting agents will be more transparent in their termination provisions, especially those who do not charge a one off fee for tenant finds, but keep charging for the same work in perpetuity, until the tenants leave.

Although I have updated this blog post with new terms of business which reflect the end of fixed term tenancies under the Renters’ Rights Act on 1 May 2026, many of still pre-date the RRA.

I cover letting agents in detail in my bestselling book, The Good Landlord Handbook, from choosing the right one to managing them effectively, with practical guidance on agents woven throughout the book. I also explain how to self-manage.

>> Related Post: How to terminate property management contract with letting agents

>> Related Post: What to look for in the small print of letting agent contracts