What happens if residents don't leave at the end of the tenancy?

The good news is, this happens very rarely.

Around 90% of tenancies are ended by the resident. Of the remaining 10% where the Owner has ended the tenancy, the majority are ended because the Owner wants to sell of move in (or have a close family member move in).

Ending a tenancy for these reasons is a “Mandatory Ground” – meaning if you can show someone is moving in, or it is being sold then, providing all your administration and compliance is correct, the court should grant you possession.

Where the reason for ending the tenancy is anything else then it will be necessary to prove to the court the tenant is at “fault”, and in breach of the tenancy. The Court needs to be satisfied the breach is sufficiently serious for the Court to make the tenant homeless. Clearly these cases can be more nuanced.