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2. Housing and local services
3. Being a landlord and renting out a room
Tenancy agreements: a guide for landlords
(England and Wales)
1.
2.
3.
4.
1. Overview
2. Tenancy types
3. What you should include in a tenancy agreement
4. Changes to tenancy agreements
5. 5. Ending a tenancy
6. 6. If your tenants want to leave
7. 7. If your tenant dies without an executor or a will
7. If your tenant dies without an executor or a
will
The tenancy is transferred temporarily to the Public Trustee if a tenant dies:


without a will
with a will but without an executor
You can’t take back a property automatically even if the tenancy was due to end.
You may be fined if you try to repossess a property without following the rules.
Reclaim your property
You must do the following:



post or deliver a letter to the tenant’s last known address saying you’re giving written
notice - you don’t need to get proof of this
send a copy of the notice and a completed NL1 form to the Public Trustee
register the notice with the Public Trustee
Address the written notice to: “The Personal Representative of [full name of the tenant who died]
of [last known address for the tenant who died]”.
Order a paper version of the NL1 application form to register a notice.
The form costs £5.05. You’ll get it by post.
You can’t use a photocopy of the form to make your application but you can make your own
version of the form as long as it’s laid out in the same way and includes all the relevant
information.
It costs £40 to register the notice. Pay by cheque or postal order in UK sterling only, made
payable to ‘The Public Trustee’.
Post your documents
Send the Public Trustee all of the following:



a copy of the written notice
the completed application form to register the notice
your payment for the application to register
The Public Trustee
PO Box 3010
London
WC2A 1AX
Get a decision about your application
The Public Trustee will register or reject your application.
You’ll get a letter telling you one of the following:


your application is registered - you’ll be told the date it was put in the register
your application is rejected, eg because your application is incomplete - you’ll be told
why the Public Trustee can’t register it
You should get a letter within 15 working days of the Public Trustee getting your application and
payment.
You can search the Public Trustee’s register if your notice is registered, eg to check that you can
legally rent the property again or sell it.

Previous If your tenants want to leave
Print entire guide
Last updated: 19 November 2015
Being a landlord and renting out a room




Deposit protection schemes and landlords
Evicting tenants (England and Wales)
Renting out your property (England and Wales)
More in Being a landlord and renting out a room
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