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Notice to a lodger to leave your home (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland · in English · for landlords
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For a homeowner or tenant in Northern Ireland who lives in the home and wants a lodger to leave. The notice refers to your lodger agreement, gives the date it ends — at least four weeks ahead in writing (eight weeks once the lodger has lived with you for more than a year), or the longer period the agreement sets — asks for the room to be cleared and the keys returned, and says what happens to the deposit. Hand it over in person and keep a copy the lodger has signed. Not for a tenant who has the home or part of it to themselves: a landlord’s notice to quit is a different document.
- Made for use in Northern Ireland
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- You have a lodger living in your home in Northern Ireland and want them to move out.
- Your lodger keeps breaking the house rules and you want to end the arrangement in writing.
- A family member is moving back in and you need the spare room again.
- You want to give your lodger proper notice to leave, with a date and a copy for your records.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Landlord
- Landlord's address
- Town or city
- Landlord's postcode
- Date
- Lodger (full name)
- Date of the lodger agreement
- Date the lodger must leave by
- How long the lodger has lived with you
Common questions
- How much notice should I give a lodger who lives with me in Northern Ireland?
- The period your lodger agreement sets, and in any case at least four weeks in writing — eight weeks once the lodger has lived with you for more than 12 months, twelve after ten years. Those are the notices to quit Article 14 of the Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 requires of a landlord for a tenancy of that length, so giving them keeps the notice good even if your lodger were treated as a tenant. Hand it over and ask the lodger to sign your copy.
- What if my lodger in Northern Ireland does not leave when the notice ends?
- Do not change the locks while they are inside, remove their belongings or use or threaten force: harassing someone to make them leave a home can be a criminal offence. Talk to them first, and get free advice from Housing Rights on the next step before you act. Keep a record of what was said and agreed, and when.
- Can I use a lodger notice to ask a tenant in Northern Ireland to leave?
- No. This letter is only for a lodger who lives in your own home with you. A tenant who has the home, or part of it, to themselves is given a landlord’s notice to quit of four, eight or twelve weeks depending on how long the tenancy has lasted, and only a court can order a tenant who stays to leave. Longer periods and a prescribed form are coming once the Department for Communities makes regulations.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
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