In ASK we get many enquiries from students who want to leave their tenancies early and some who have changed their minds before they've even moved in. On very rare occasions a tenancy agreement may have a clause allowing you to serve notice to leave early, but if yours doesn't have one you can normally only be released or have the terms of the tenancy varied if the landlord agrees to it. This is still the case, even if you never moved in.
We advise students to talk to their landlord about why they want to leave and see if the landlord is willing to negotiate. Most landlords will only agree to end the tenancy early if there is a replacement tenant to take over from you - you can try advertising to students on our new Find a Housemate platform, which is intended to help students who are wanting to leave their contract connect with those who are househunting. You can also look on social media groups for Keele students and the Keele Studentpad message board.
IMPORTANT: From 1 May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act 2025 will make significant changes to housing law that may affect your tenancies for the 2026/27 academic year. The impact of this Act will depend on what type of accommodation you're renting as a student. Visit our Renters' Rights Act page for information about how the Act will affect the different types of tenancies.