The owner is selling the flat: can they end the crew's stay early?

0 of 146of our crew stays with recorded terms set a notice period for the owner

65.6%of UK landlords surveyed plan to sell or leave within three years (n=1,629)

6 monthsproposed cap on German temporary lets, 8 if extended

18 of 210of our crew stays ran longer than six months

Four months into a nine-month job, the owner emails: the flat is being sold, can the crew be out in 30 days? Most bookers assume tenant law will protect the stay. Usually it will not.

Our argument: the rules that stop a sale ending a let are written for tenants renting their own home. A company booking a flat for a crew mostly sits outside them. On a crew booking, what protects the stay is the owner's notice period in the booking, and in most bookings nobody has written one down.

Why is this coming up now?

Because owners are selling. In Property118's survey of UK landlords, run from 1 to 8 October 2026, 40.4% said they plan to sell one or more properties in the next three years and 25.2% plan to leave the sector completely: 65.6% in total, out of 1,629 who answered. The Renters' Rights Act, which took effect on 1 May 2026, ranks first among the reasons given by those who are leaving.

The rules are moving in Germany and Spain too. On 14 October the Bundestag's legal affairs committee held a hearing on the government's draft tenancy law (Drucksache 21/6807). It would limit lets for temporary use to six months, extendable to eight if a longer need arises after the stay starts. Beyond that, normal tenant protection would apply, so owners who want their flat back on a date they choose have a reason to cap bookings at six months. In Spain, the government plans to put its two housing decrees, including the new rules for temporary lets, to a vote of the Congress standing committee on 12 November, before the 13 November deadline.

What do our crew bookings actually say?

They say how the booker can leave. Of 210 crew stays in our booking system (cancelled stays excluded), 146 have cancellation terms recorded. In 98 the booker gives notice, almost always 30 days or a month. In 48 the booking is non-refundable. None of the 146 sets how much notice the owner must give.

The long stays carry the most risk. Of 37 stays over 90 nights, 31 have terms recorded, 25 of them a 30-day notice for the booker. 18 stays ran longer than six months and 12 longer than eight. Another 37 roll over monthly, and 12 of those have already been extended. A monthly rolling booking suits a project that might overrun, but it also gives the owner a natural point to stop rolling.

Does the law protect a crew booking if the owner sells?

England: since 1 May 2026, a landlord who wants to sell cannot use the sale ground in the first 12 months of a tenancy, and must then give four months' notice. That protection applies to assured tenancies, and under the Housing Act 1988 only individuals can hold one. A company let falls outside it, so the notice is whatever the contract says.

Germany: a sale does not break a lease: the buyer steps into it (section 566 BGB). But for a flat let only for temporary use, the rules that stop an owner giving notice without a reason do not apply (section 549). A fixed term the owner cannot end early is what protects the stay.

Spain: Royal Decree-law 29/2026, in force since 8 October, rewrote the rules for temporary lets, and it still needs a vote by 13 November. A booker cannot know which rules will apply in month five, so the sale clause has to be in the booking.

How do the rules compare?

	Protection if the owner sells	Does it cover a company booking for a crew?	What to get in writing
England	Ground 1A: no sale in the first 12 months, then 4 months' notice	No: only individuals hold assured tenancies	Owner's notice period and a sale clause
Germany	Sale does not break the lease (s566 BGB)	Yes, but a temporary let can be ended on notice without a reason	Fixed term the owner cannot end early
Germany, draft law	Temporary let limited to 6 months, 8 if extended	Not yet law; Bundestag hearing 14 Oct	Plan longer stays as two bookings or a lease
Spain	Temporary-let rules rewritten from 8 Oct by decree	Unclear until the decree vote, due by 13 Nov	A sale clause that does not depend on the law

The flat market is the right one for a long crew stay: our clients have saved 20-30% by using the correct market for the length of stay. The trade-off is that a private owner can change plans in a way a hotel chain does not, so the booking has to cover it.

What should bookers do differently?

• Ask for an owner's notice period that matches your project: at least as long as it would take you to rehouse the crew, 60 to 90 days on a long job.
• Add a sale clause. If the flat is sold, the buyer takes over the booking, or the owner gives the agreed notice and covers the cost of moving the crew.
• Ask at quote stage whether the flat is, or will be, on the market. It is the cheapest check you will make.
• Agree the extension right up front, so an overrun does not depend on the owner's mood in month five.
• In Germany, plan stays over six months now, as the draft law could change what a temporary let can be.

Related: what happens to the accommodation when the project slips, how much notice project teams give and why the deposit has not come back.

FAQ

Can a landlord end a company let early to sell the flat?

Often yes, if the contract allows it. In England, the 12-month protection and four months' notice for a sale apply to assured tenancies, which only individuals can hold.

Does a sale end the crew's stay in Germany?

No. The buyer takes over the lease. But a temporary let has fewer protections against notice, so the term and notice in the contract matter most.

What notice should an owner give on a crew booking?

Whatever you agree. In our data, none of 146 crew stays with recorded terms set one, so ask for it in writing.