Tenants changing notice date - any advice please

[thepenofmyaunt]

Our tenants have given notice which we have accepted and have now made arrangements to come to France to do the handover of the keys, etat des lieux, etc. They now want to change the date (by several months) which doesn't suit us at all as we have potential new tenants who want to move in before the new 'end of tenancy' date and are not free to return to France at that time. Does anyone know if we can insist that they stick with the original date? Any advice gratefully received.

Pen

PS. They are on a standard 3 year French tenancy agreement

[idun]

http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F1168.xhtml

http://www.anil.org/fr/publications-et-etudes/publications-grand-public/serie-scenario-logement/index.html

Contact your local ANIL/ADIL about this. There is information on these links too.

[thepenofmyaunt]

Thanks for that. Unfortunately it doesn't answer my question as to whether or not the tenants can change the date of their notice once it has been accepted.

[idun]

Contact the ANIL or ADIL by phone. I did when my son was having problems with his landlord.

[danny]

IMO you are in a difficult situation. I assume that your tenants have sent you their notice to quit by recorded mail. In such circumstances they have to leave, failure to comply leaves them open to pay damages and costs. Assuming they have funds or assets to go after then you will not lose financially.

You say you have potential new tenants, I would make them aware of the situation and do not enter a new lease with them. However if the current tanants are financially weak then you will have to go with their new departure date. To get them out from a legal standpoint could take several years.

I suggest you run with the current situation, however ask them to confirm the new date of departure by recorded mail.