Landlord Selling or Moving In? Your NSW Notice, Your Moving Timeline and the Re-Letting Rule

Counted together, sale reasons outweigh the landlord moving in. In NSW's first End of Tenancy Survey results, landlord-ended tenancies included owner or family moving in (28%), proposed sale (20%) or actual sale (14%). That puts sale at 34% in total (our estimate: 20 + 14), ahead of move-in at 28%.

The two sale reasons run on very different clocks, though. For a proposed sale, a periodic tenant is owed 90 days' notice, but once a contract is signed the minimum drops to 30 days. Either way, the sale must require vacant possession.

At Castle Hill Removals, the first question we would ask about any notice is which ground it names. That one word sets your end date, the papers that must come with the notice, and how long the landlord must wait before renting the place to someone else. This is general information drawn from NSW Fair Trading and the Tenants' Union, not legal advice.

Which notice did you get?

Why landlords ended leases

• Owner or family moving in28%
• Proposed sale20%
• Actual sale14%

Source: NSW Government

The survey drew over 275,000 responses from landlords and agents, and it also found that about 85% of leases were ended by renters rather than landlords. A landlord's notice is the less common ending, and the one that leaves you least say over timing. Landlords and agents have had to complete the survey since 1 July 2025, within 14 days of the initial bond claim.

Since 19 May 2025 a landlord must give a specific ground to end any lease, fixed-term or periodic, and that includes tenancies that began before that date. A notice given before 19 May 2025 under the old laws remains valid.

How much notice must a landlord give if selling or moving in?

Minimum notice by ground and lease type

Ground	Fixed term 6 months or less	Fixed term over 6 months	Periodic
Proposed sale	60 days	90 days	90 days
Landlord or family moving in	60 days	90 days	90 days
Actual sale (contract signed)	30 days	30 days	30 days

• Sale grounds only where the sale requires vacant possession.
• A fixed term cannot be ended early on these grounds: the end date must fall on or after the end of the fixed term.
• Calendar days, day of service not counted; add 7 working days if posted.

Source: NSW Fair Trading

The minimum notice periods depend on the ground and your lease type:

• Proposed sale, or landlord or family moving in: 60 days on a fixed term of 6 months or less, 90 days on a fixed term over 6 months, and 90 days on a periodic agreement.
• Actual sale, with the contract signed: 30 days for all three.

A landlord cannot end a fixed-term agreement early on these grounds: the termination date must fall on or after the end of the fixed term.

A sale does not automatically end your lease: if neither side ends it, the buyer becomes your landlord from settlement on the same terms and needs a valid ground to end it.

How do you count the days on a notice?

Posted? Add 7 working days for delivery

1. Day of service: not counted
2. Day 1
6. Last day of minimum notice

Calendar days, not working days

Source: NSW Fair Trading

Notice days are calendar days, not working days, and the day of service is not counted. If the notice was posted, add 7 working days for delivery.

Here is a worked example, our estimate from those two rules. Always check it against the date printed on your own notice.

• A 90-day notice handed over on Monday 2 November 2026: day 1 is 3 November, so day 90 lands on Sunday 31 January 2027.
• The same notice posted that Monday: the 7 working days for delivery push the end to about Tuesday 9 February 2027.

If your date lands in January, our family plan for moving in the December and January holidays covers that stretch.

Is the notice valid? What it must include

According to Fair Trading, a valid landlord notice must be in writing, signed and dated. It must also give the address and end date, state the ground, and come with a termination information statement and any supporting documents the ground requires.

• Proposed sale: a copy or part of the proposed contract for sale, or of the agency agreement.
• Actual sale: a copy or part of the signed contract, or a written statement from the solicitor or conveyancer.
• Moving in: the landlord or a listed family member must be moving in for at least 6 months, which can include a partner or a dependant who usually lives with the landlord. The landlord must give a signed, dated written statement saying who will live there, how that person is related to the landlord and that they will stay at least 6 months. If a family member is moving in instead of the landlord, that person must also give a signed, dated statement of their relationship and the 6 months.

If required documents are missing or lack the required information, the termination may not be valid, and giving false or misleading documents is an offence. A tenant can apply to NCAT if the process wasn't followed, the documents were false or misleading, or the ground isn't genuine. Whether your notice holds up is a question for them, not for a removalist.

How long do I have to move out?

The notice clock

1. Notice served (calendar days, day of service not counted; posted, add 7 working days)
2. Minimum noticeproposed sale or landlord/family moving in, 90 days periodic or fixed term over 6 months, 60 days fixed term 6 months or less; actual sale, 30 days; sale grounds need vacant possession; never before a fixed term's end date

   Leave earlierperiodic, any time, no rent after you leave; fixed term, 14-day early exit notice

3. Keys returnedtenancy ends
4. Re-letting bar from termination date4 weeks to 12 months by ground, unless Fair Trading approves early re-letting

Source: NSW Fair Trading, NSW Government

The end date is the latest you can stay, not the day you must go. A notice does not end the tenancy by itself: it ends when you move out and return the keys, and if you stay past the date the landlord must apply to NCAT for a termination order.

On a 90-day notice, that is a window of up to 90 days to find a home, book the move and hand back the keys. On a 30-day actual-sale notice, the window is a third as long, so start planning on day one.

Can you leave before the end date?

Landlord has served notice

• PeriodicLeave any time before the termination date; no rent after you leave
• Fixed termGive a minimum 14-day early exit notice

For comparison: ending a periodic lease yourself takes 21 days' notice, no reason needed

Source: NSW Fair Trading

Yes. After a landlord's notice, the rules by lease type are:

• Periodic: you can leave any time before the termination date and pay no rent after you leave.
• Fixed term: give a minimum 14-day early exit notice.

So a periodic tenant who finds a place in week three doesn't pay rent on two homes for the rest of the 90 days. You can take a good rental when it appears.

Working back from your end date to moving day

1. Pick a moving day before the end date, not on it. That way a wet afternoon can't leave you overstaying.
2. On a fixed term, count back 14 days from the day you want to leave and diary your early exit notice.
3. Book the removalist as soon as you have a date.
4. Size the load. See one trip or two, and don't forget the double garage.
5. Pack the least-used rooms first. If you want help, our packing services page explains the options.
6. Book the final clean and the key handover together, because the tenancy ends when the keys go back.

Can the landlord re-let after I leave?

How long before it can be re-let

NCAT time limit to challenge a notice as not genuine: 3 months from termination date (Tenants' Union)

• Significant renovations or repairs: 4 weeks (Fair Trading)
• Proposed sale: 6 months (Fair Trading)
• Demolition: 6 months (Fair Trading)
• Landlord or family moving in: 6 months (Tenants' Union)
• Change of use: 12 months (Tenants' Union)

03 months6 months12 months

Source: NSW Fair Trading, Tenants' Union of NSW

Usually not straight away. Landlords who evict cannot re-let within a set period, "ranging from four weeks to 12 months, depending on the reason", and the NSW Government says breaches can indicate possible unlawful evictions. The periods run from the termination date, and renting the place out during them is an offence:

• Fair Trading's figures: proposed sale 6 months, significant renovations or repairs 4 weeks, demolition 6 months.
• The Tenants' Union's figures: landlord or family moving in 6 months, and change of use 12 months.

A landlord facing a change of circumstances beyond their control can apply to Fair Trading to re-let early. Those applications are assessed only once the property is vacant.

Sydney's preliminary auction clearance rate was 48.2% in the week ending 25 October 2026, below 50% for the first time in twelve weeks, so a proposed sale is not a finished one. On a periodic lease, 90 days' notice plus 6 months keeps the place off the rental market for at least about 9 months from service (our estimate), unless Fair Trading approves an early re-let.

If you see your old home listed for rent inside the period, keep a dated screenshot with your notice and make a complaint to NSW Fair Trading, which the Tenants' Union says can investigate. If you want to challenge the notice at NCAT as not genuine, the Tenants' Union puts the time limit at 3 months from the termination date.

Living through open homes before you go

Showing rules while your rental is for sale (Tenants' Union)

When	Rule
First showing	Written notice at least 14 days ahead
Each showing	48 hours' notice unless a schedule is agreed
Hours	Not before 8am or after 8pm
Days	Not Sundays or public holidays
Number	You need not agree to more than 2 a week

Source: Tenants' Union of NSW

While you are still living there, the Tenants' Union's showing rules are:

• 14 days' written notice before the first showing
• 48 hours' notice before each showing, unless a schedule is agreed
• no entry before 8am, after 8pm, or on Sundays and public holidays
• no more than 2 showings a week unless you agree.

Agree a schedule that sits around your packing days. Tape cartons shut as you fill them and stack them along one wall, clear of doorways. Keep documents, medicines, spare keys and small electronics with you or out of sight.

Your bond and the paperwork to keep

Keep every notice with its envelope or email, the supporting documents, and your own notes of when and how each one arrived.

If you are moving straight into another NSW rental with the same tenants, Smart Rental Bonds can transfer your bond for an administration and processing fee, which NSW Fair Trading sets out on that page. To use it, you must vacate within 4 weeks of entering the new place and apply through Rental Bonds Online, and it can't be used while a claim on the old bond is in progress.

Every deadline at a glance

• NoticeProposed sale or move-in 90 days periodic or fixed term over 6 months, 60 days fixed term 6 months or less; actual sale 30 days; sale grounds need vacant possession; never before a fixed term ends
• CountingCalendar days, day of service not counted, plus 7 working days if posted
• Leaving earlyPeriodic any time with no rent after; fixed term 14-day early exit notice
• Open homes14 days before the first, 48 hours before each unless a schedule is agreed, up to 2 a week, not before 8am, after 8pm, Sundays or public holidays (Tenants' Union)
• Re-letting bar4 weeks renovations, 6 months proposed sale, 6 months demolition (Fair Trading); 6 months move-in, 12 months change of use (Tenants' Union); unless Fair Trading approves early re-letting
• Challenging3 months from termination date (Tenants' Union)

Source: NSW Fair Trading, Tenants' Union of NSW

Notice length, counting, leaving early, open homes, the re-letting bar and the NCAT limit all sit on one board here. Keep it with your notice.

Plan your move with Castle Hill Removals

Once you know your ground and your end date, choose a moving day that leaves a buffer before it. Then tell Castle Hill Removals that date and the size of your home through our quote request page, and we will work back from it with you.