A person moving out does not necessarily end their contractual position. For a Scottish private residential tenancy, establish the agreement of the relevant parties and the current law before changing the record.
Establish the current request
- Ask whether the departing person wants a replacement, release from liability or the whole tenancy to end.
- Check the other joint tenants' position and the original agreement.
- Obtain advice where there is disagreement, domestic abuse or uncertainty about notice.
Agree a lawful change where possible
- Record all required consent and the effective date.
- Check affordability and references for any proposed replacement without assuming a new name can simply be inserted.
- Deal with the deposit, inventory and any guarantor implications explicitly.
Prepare for the future rule separately
- Scottish Government guidance identifies an additional joint-ending process from 1 April 2027, involving a preliminary notice stage and later ending notice.
- Check the final current forms and full procedure at that time rather than applying a simplified summary early.
- Preserve the distinction between a future statutory route and an arrangement agreed under the current law.
Example: one person leaves but the other stays
A fictional joint tenant moves out and asks to be removed from the rent account. Confirm a lawful release or variation before changing liability. A forwarding address alone does not establish that the contract has changed.
What to do
- Clarify whether one person or the whole household wants to end the tenancy.
- Check the current lawful route and document any agreed change.
- Review deposit, guarantees and remaining liability.
Evidence to keep
- Tenancy, request, all relevant responses and agreed documents.
- Deposit changes, rent position and handover.
Sources and guidance
- Ending a Scottish tenancy: current and future changesScottish Government · checked 20 October 2026
- Being a private landlordScottish Government · checked 20 October 2026
- Housing (Scotland) Act 2025: rent control provisionslegislation.gov.uk · checked 20 October 2026