Joint AST ended yesterday. One T hasn't returned key.

[Pobinr]

Joint AST ended yesterday. One T hasn't returned key. He knows I'm going to be taking some of his deposit due to minor damage. He seems to think his key is a bargaining chip.
Though he's moved out his stuff, my thoughts are he hasn't yielded up the property to me fully as long as he's retained means of access. Any Idea where I stand legally ?
Can I say rent continues to be chargeable until I get the key back. Other wise I have to change some expensive locks. If I do that will also be coming out of his deposit.

[LesleyAnne]

Did anyone give notice on the tenancy, or have they just left at the end of the FT?

[theartfullodger]

How (by what mechanism..) was the AST ended??

Notice to quit from tenant(s)??

Deed of surrender???

Court order, bailiffs etc??

If none of the above... how???

[thesaint]

You can't charge rent, as the tenancy has ended.
I would contact him to let him know that if the keys aren't returned by "x" time, the locks will be changed at his cost.

I changed my tenancy agreements to reflect this, as it is something tenants regularly do.

[Pobinr]

AST ended as end of 30 days notice they gave me. Since I posted I emailed him to say he'd have to pay for new locks so the key's now appeared :-)
I will add to AST's in future that T pays for locks if unreturned keys

[westminster]

Though he's moved out his stuff, my thoughts are he hasn't yielded up the property to me fully as long as he's retained means of access. Any Idea where I stand legally ?
Can I say rent continues to be chargeable until I get the key back.

Assuming the tenancy has actually ended by one of the methods mentioned by other members, then the retention of a set of keys does not mean that the tenancy hasn't ended. No tenancy, no rent payable.

[westminster]

AST ended as end of 30 days notice they gave me

Where do you get 30 days from?

[Pobinr]

Righto thanks

[jjlandlord]

Even if the notice was incorrect, it was accepted and apparently all the tenants move out.

If not all keys are returned, I would change lock and add cost, along cost for all new keys, to deposit deductions.

[tim123456789]

Even if the notice was incorrect, it was accepted and apparently all the tenants move out.

If not all keys are returned, I would change lock and add cost, along cost for all new keys, to deposit deductions.

IME the cost of a new lock with 3 or 4 keys included is less than the costs of getting 4 keys cut! (Though obviously there's the fitting costs on top)

YMMV

tim