If you want to end your tenancy, it's important to understand the rules for giving notice.

What you need to know if a tenant or landlord changes, or if the house is sold.

A fixed-term tenancy only lasts for the set amount of time stated in the tenancy agreement. It can be renewed or extended only if both the landlord and tenant agree.

Generally, a landlord or tenant cannot give notice to end a fixed-term tenancy early. There are limited exceptions to this rule, and other options available if the landlord or tenant want to end a tenancy early.

When you serve notice, you can deliver it by hand or send it to the other person. You should allow time for the notice to be delivered.

Find out what to do if a tenant moves out without giving the correct notice, or leaves things behind.

Subletting is usually where the tenant moves out of the house they're renting and on-rents the house to someone else, such as for a residential tenancy or for a short term holiday purpose.

A tenant or their dependant who experiences family violence during a tenancy can remove themselves from the tenancy by giving the landlord at least 2 days’ written notice in the approved form (with qualifying evidence of family violence) without financial penalty or the need for agreement from the landlord. This applies to both fixed-term and periodic tenancy agreements. Victims of family violence do not need to apply to the Tenancy Tribunal to end their tenancy.

A landlord can give written notice of at least 14 days in the approved form to terminate a tenancy, if the tenant has physically assaulted the landlord, the owner, a member of the landlord or owner’s family, or the landlord’s agent, and the Police have filed a charge against the tenant in respect of the assault. Landlords will need to provide qualifying evidence of the charge being filed.