Ending broadband at the end of a tenancy

Most providers need around 30 days' notice to cancel, even when you are out of contract, so tell them as soon as you have a moving-out date to avoid paying beyond your tenancy.

Before you cancel anything, ask one question: are you moving to a new address where you will want broadband? If so, you usually do not want to cancel at all. Most providers let you take your broadband with you as a home move, which keeps your existing deal and price and almost always avoids any early-exit charge, even if you are still within your contract term. That is the cheapest, simplest route for most renters.

You only need to fully cancel if you will not need broadband at the new place, you are moving in with someone who already has it, or you are switching to a different provider at the new address. In those cases, the steps below walk you through ending the contract cleanly. If you are moving the line instead, our guide to moving broadband to a new address covers that route in full.

Aim to end the service close to your tenancy end, not before, so you are not left offline while still living there. Automatic compensation protects you the other way too, paying for delays on a new service (Ofcom, from 1 April 2026).

If you are moving rather than stopping, you can transfer instead of cancelling.

Read exit fees and how to reduce them and how One Touch Switch handles a move if you are switching rather than cancelling. Transfer instead of cancelling if you are keeping the same provider, or see setting up at the new place. Two things decide what leaving costs: how much notice you give, and whether you are still inside your minimum contract term. Here is how the common situations play out.

Notice almost always runs from the day you tell the provider, not the day you move, so give notice as soon as your move date is confirmed. If you leave it late, you may pay for a few days or weeks of service in an empty home. Provider charges and exact notice periods vary, so confirm yours when you call or message them.

Many providers ask for the router back and may charge if it is not returned. Check whether yours is a return item, send it by tracked post, and keep the proof until the account is closed.

1. 1
   Confirm your contract status. Check whether you are in or out of your minimum term, and ask about any early-exit charge before you commit.
2. 2
   Give notice in writing. Contact the provider by phone, chat or their cancellation form, state your move date, and ask them to confirm the end date in writing.
3. 3
   Arrange the router return. Ask how to send the equipment back and by when, and get a returns label or reference.
4. 4
   Confirm the final bill. Check the closing balance, pay it, and only then cancel the direct debit so nothing bounces.

Many providers ask for the router back and may charge if it is not returned. Check whether yours is a return item, send it by tracked post, and keep the proof until the account is closed.

Most providers want their router back when you leave, and they can charge a non-return fee, often tens of pounds, if it does not come back in time. When you give notice, ask whether you need to return the equipment and how, since some let you keep older kit while others send a prepaid returns bag.

Pack it well, include any power supply and cables they ask for, keep your proof of postage, and send it within the stated window. A quick trip to the post office is far cheaper than the charge. Our guide to router return charges explains the typical fees and timeframes by provider.

If your contract has not ended you may owe early termination charges, though these can be waived if the provider cannot serve your next address. You also have a 14-day cooling-off period on any new contract (Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013).

Here is how exit fees and how to reduce them work in practice.

Wait for the final bill to arrive and clear before cancelling your direct debit. Cancelling early can cause a missed payment and a mark on your credit file, so settle first, then close.

Setting up at the new place is covered in our new-rental guide.

Settle the final split between housemates before everyone scatters, so nobody is chasing money later. Our guides to broadband for house shares and splitting the bill and switching when the account holder is changing cover both situations in detail.

Steer around these and ending broadband at the end of a tenancy stays clean and cost-free.

• Leaving notice too late. Notice usually runs from when you tell the provider, so give it as soon as your move date is set.
• Cancelling when you could move it. If you want broadband at the new place, moving the deal usually avoids an early-exit fee.
• Forgetting the router return. Send the equipment back within the window to avoid a non-return charge.
• Cancelling the direct debit early. Pay the final bill first, then cancel the direct debit, or you risk a missed-payment mark.
• Just stopping payment. That does not end the contract; always cancel formally and get the end date in writing.

Ending the old line is one part of moving. These guides help with the rest:

• Ofcom. (2024). Cancelling your broadband: your rights. ofcom.org.uk
• Ofcom. (2024). One Touch Switch. ofcom.org.uk
• Ofcom. (2024). Treating customers fairly: end-of-contract and notice. ofcom.org.uk
• TOTSCo. (2024). One Touch Switch process. totsco.org.uk

Figures checked on 2 June 2026. Notice periods, early-exit charges and provider fees vary and change; confirm the exact terms with your provider.